Mayor of South Yorkshire mandates face coverings in bus stations

Mayor Jarvis worried that government's 'mixed messages' on masks could create confusion among public

Face coverings will remain mandatory in bus stations and interchanges across the region where the Mayoral Combined Authority operates, the Mayor of South Yorkshire, Dan Jarvis, has said.

Mayor Jarvis's decision to mandate mask wearing follows the Prime Minister’s announcement that the legal requirement to wear masks in enclosed public spaces and on public transport will end on 19 July.

Jarvis said: “With Covid case numbers continuing to rise rapidly, now is not the time to remove the legal requirement to wear face masks on public transport and in enclosed public spaces. This why from Monday, at the bus stations and interchanges we control in South Yorkshire, wearing face coverings will continue to be mandatory.

“We wear masks to protect each other from the virus, and the mixed messages from this government risks making public transport a no-go area for the vulnerable and young people who haven’t yet had both vaccinations.

“The government has the power to make masks a legal requirement for transport networks and enclosed spaces across England and I urge them to do so. A national mandate would without a doubt be more effective and create less confusion for passengers and fewer challenges for staff.

“But if the government is unwilling to act, then alongside other Metro Mayors, we are doing what we can, with the powers we have, to protect our community. I urge everyone in South Yorkshire to continue to wear a mask in public so we can protect each other as we emerge from lockdown.”

The mandate will apply at the following stations/interchanges:
•    Barnsley Interchange
•    Meadowhall Interchange
•    Rotherham Interchange
•    Sheffield Interchange 
•    Doncaster Interchange
•    Adwick Mini Interchange
•    Dinnington Mini Interchange
•    Hillsborough Mini Interchange
•    Swinton Mini Interchange
•    Woodhouse Rail Station
•    Arundel Gate Mini Interchange