London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

London leads the way as more cities make masks compulsory on transport

London leads the way as more cities make masks compulsory on transport

Cities across England have joined London in making masks compulsory on transport services after Freedom Day in a revolt against Boris Johnson.

It comes after London Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed face coverings will remain mandatory on the capital’s transport services after July 19, despite the prime minister’s decision to drop the legal requirement in England.

Mayors across England have hit out against the government’s decision and joined the capital in keeping mask wearing compulsory in areas of local transport under their control.

Regions includes:

* Greater Manchester
* Liverpool City Region
* West of England
* North of Tyne
* South Yorkshire
* West Yorkshire

From Monday, face coverings will become a condition of carriage on the London Underground, trains and buses, Greater Manchester Metrolink trams and Tyne and Wear Metro.

They must also be worn in bus stations in West and South Yorkshire.

But mayors warned that without a continued national mandate there would be a “ridiculous mismatch” of rules across the country that will be “confusing” for passengers when measures are eased on Monday.

For example, masks will not be mandatory on local buses or mainline trains because the leaders do not have control over them.

One exception is London, where bus passengers will be required to wear coverings since TfL is overseen by the city’s mayor.

Mr Johnson has faced calls to stage a U-turn over the decision, with transport secretary Grant Shapps backing Mr Khan.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said mayors wanted to see a “return to a more normal life” but this needed to be done “safely”, with masks helping to protect people in enclosed environments.

South Yorkshire Mayor Dan Jarvis chimed: “The mixed messages from the government risks making public transport a no-go area , both for the vulnerable and for our young people who haven’t yet had both vaccinations.”

What are others doing?


In Wales, face masks will remain a legal requirement on public transport partially to reassure those who are clinically vulnerable.

First Minister Mark Drakeford announced the decision which also applies to care settings and indoor public places in Wales.

Coronavirus restrictions are set to ease in Scotland when the country moves to level zero but mandatory face masks will remain for some time.

Other European countries including France, Spain, Italy and Portugal, are also continuing to mandate compulsory face coverings on public transport.

Conditions of Carriage


Conditions of carriage are contractual conditions between passengers and transport services, which include not consuming alcohol which is also enforced by a byelaw.

The new condition of carriage requires passengers to continue wearing a face covering in stations and for the duration of their journey unless they are exempt.

Passengers not wearing a face covering and not exempt will be refused entry.

TfL is considering amending the existing byelaws for face coverings but this would have taken significant time and may have resulted in a gap between national regulations ending and TfL requirements beginning.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×