Face coverings
Page updated: 29/03/2021
As lockdown restrictions start to lift, we want to keep our focus firmly on keeping all of our customers and colleagues safe while travelling with us. All of our safety measures are in place to keep you protected and ensure we are following government guidance.
Wearing masks
It is a legal requirement to wear a mask when using public transport. Unless you are exempt in-line with the government guidance, please ensure a face covering is worn for the entire journey and that it covers your nose and mouth to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Think before you travel. Minimise travel where possible. This means you should:
- Avoid making unnecessary trips
- Combine trips where possible
Face coverings government guidance:
In England ⇒
In Wales ⇒
In Scotland ⇒
General Coronavirus government guidance:
Government guidance in England ⇒
Government guidance in Wales ⇒
Government guidance in Scotland ⇒
- Please remember to bring a face covering or mask for your journey; it can be very simple, like a scarf or bandana, It needs to fit well and cover your mouth and nose.
- Please put your face covering on before boarding the bus and wash your hands or use hand sanitiser before putting it on.
- If you have an exemption and you are unable to wear a face covering please be prepared to inform the driver and show an Extra help to travel card (Journey assistance card). Please see here for more details ⇒
- Please wear your face covering throughout the duration of your journey, including when disembarking the bus.
- Be aware that not everyone can wear a face covering and some exemptions apply.
- To keep everyone safe please take your face covering with you at the end of your journey and store the used face covering in a plastic bag and take it home. Please dispose of used face coverings safely.
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To see the government guidance on face covering exemptions please follow this link ⇒
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Questions and answers
Q. What is a face covering and where can I get one? You can use home-made face coverings or ones bought from retailers, it can be very simple, like a scarf or bandana, It needs to fit well and cover your mouth and nose.
Q. Do I need to wear it at the bus station/stop as well as on the bus? Yes. Passengers must wear a face covering in substantially enclosed public areas of transport hubs, including bus stations. We recommend that you wear a face covering when using public transport, throughout your journey.
Q. Will the driver refuse to let me on if I’m not wearing a face mask/covering? It is your legal responsibility to wear a face covering when travelling on public transport unless you have an exemption. The driver cannot enforce this but you may be liable to a fixed penalty notice if you refuse.
Q. Will face coverings be available at bus stations and on board buses and coaches? We are not providing face coverings to customers. A face covering does not need to be a mask - it can be a form of material that covers the mouth and nose. You can use home-made face coverings or ones bought from retailers. You can make your own face covering by following this guidance ⇒
Q. If someone is travelling without a face covering what should I do? The majority of our passengers are wearing face coverings and we estimate that around 15% are exempt. Our drivers are now issuing notices to any passengers without a face covering who are not exempt, to remind them of the law and tell them they may be liable to be fined. Ultimately it is the passenger’s responsibility and drivers cannot enforce this.
Please also bear in mind that some passengers are exempt from the requirement to wear one and the reasons for some exemptions may not be immediately obvious.
Q. How will the wearing of face coverings be enforced? Drivers cannot enforce the law around face coverings but they will issue a special ticket to passengers who are not exempt, advising it is the customer's responsibility to comply with the law. The police have the authority to issue fixed penalty notices for those who refuse.
Q. Will drivers be wearing face coverings? Our drivers are provided with face masks, and if the driver needs to leave the cab to provide passenger assistance they will be wearing their mask. Our drivers are not wearing a face covering or mask while driving for safety reasons as this can be distracting. And for drivers who wear glasses there is a risk these get steamed up while driving. The cab has a protective screen to separate the driver and passengers.
Q. Why are you not providing hand sanitiser alongside requiring passengers to wear face coverings? Operators have undertaken risk assessments that show that the safest approach is to encourage passengers to wash their hands frequently and to bring their own sanitiser with them when they travel.
Q. How will drivers know if someone is exempt from the requirement to wear a face covering? We would ask that passengers work with us and comply with the requirement to wear a face covering if at all possible. If you are unable to wear a face covering becuse of an exemption, please be prepared to inform the driver or show a journey assistance card. The Journey assistance card scheme has been updated to enable passengers who are exempt to obtain, print or show on their phone, an Extra help to travel card (Journey assistance card). Please see here for more details ⇒
Q. If I use a mask, will there be somewhere to leave it when I get off the bus? No. To keep everyone safe please take your face covering with you at the end of your journey and store the used face covering in a plastic bag and take it home. Please dispose of used face coverings safely.
Extra help to travel card (Journey assistance card)
If you have an exemption and you are unable to wear a face covering please be prepared to inform the driver and show an Extra help to travel card (Journey assistance card). These can be downloaded here ⇒
To see the government guidance on face covering exemptions please follow this link ⇒
Extra help to travel card (Journey assistance card): Face covering exemption
If you don’t have access to a printer you can take a screen grab of the Extra Help To Travel card (Journey assistance card) on your mobile phone and show this to the driver instead.
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Thank you for your continued support.
