Passenger 'angry' at lack of mask wearing on Mansfield route bus

The 84-year-old grandad from the Mansfield area boarded the Stagecoach number 15 bus at Clipstone en route to Walesby on Monday.

As he climbed on board he noticed other bus travellers were not wearing protective face masks aimed at preventing the spread of Covid 19.

From Monday, June 15, the Government announced that everyone must wear a face covering on public transport in England.

Under the new rules, operators can prevent passengers who refuse to follow the rules from travelling and police are also able to issue fines of up to £100.

The man’s granddaughter contacted the Chad on his behalf to say: “My 84-year-old grandad got on a Stagecoach bus today, not one person was wearing a mask!

“He was very angry, and asked the driver why? He said they had been told not to challenge people!

“This is absolutely ridiculous! Stagecoach should be ashamed of themselves! It should be no mask, no entry!

“If people have exemptions then they should carry paperwork to prove it! If everyone else is wearing a mask it helps protect those that can’t!

“They are not taking anyone’s safety into consideration, or their staff.”

A Stagecoach East Midlands spokesperson said: “In line with the government guidelines, we are asking our drivers to engage, encourage and explain the new regulations to customers.

“The regulations are still very new, it will take time for everybody to adapt. Our drivers do reserve the right to prevent people from boarding the bus if they feel this is the right course of action.

"Our experience is that the majority of passengers have been following the new rules. Most passengers are looking to do the right thing and are supportive of the changes.

“We know it will take some time for passengers to adapt. As with any change in any part of life there may be instances where people forget or aren't aware and we are helping our passengers to understand the new guidance.

"We have detailed information on our buses and across our website and social media channels, and we will continue to remind people of the importance of following the new rules to help themselves and their fellow passengers.

"The government has also published a list of categories of people who are exempt from wearing face coverings. Our free journey assistance card is available at stagecoachbus.com and customers can use this as an easy way of showing they come into this category.

"As with many other changes being made as a result of the pandemic, responsibility for complying with the new government regulations lies with individuals themselves. We will continue to appeal to customers to act responsibly and provide them with all the information they need to plan their journeys and use our services safely.”

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