A HUGE drop in the number of people wearing face masks on trains is putting people off returning to public transport, a new survey reveals.
According to reports last week only 20 percent of rail passengers now wear coverings – compared to 80 percent when lockdown restrictions were lifted over the Summer.
Now a new study by transport experts at TUBR indicated this reduction is having a big impact on those using trains to head back to the office.
Of those polled 52 per cent said they were “annoyed” at the fact so many passengers were no longer wearing masks while a further 20 percent admitted it had left them feeling anxious.
Only 12 percent of those questioned said they now felt “happy” or “relaxed” on trains. And 15 per cent said they had no intention of using them to return to the office.
Dash Tabor, from TUBR, which helps commuters plan crowd-free journeys, said the findings indicated much more could still be done to boost passenger confidence.
She said: “Since the lockdown restrictions were lifted we’ve seen a gradual rise in the number of people returning to trains, peaking at the start of September. This is heartening but footfall is still not back to where we’d expect and it is clear many passengers are still highly anxious about using trains.
“Our new survey shows that the recent reduction in people wearing masks only appears to have escalated these concerns. It’s vital then that transport leaders put measures in place which allow commuters to travel with more confidence. We backed mandatory face masks but it is clear these are unlikely to be implemented on trains.
“However, providing trains with more carriages that are clean and are arriving at stations which are well sanitised and managed would be a positive step in the right direction in encouraging passengers back onto trains.”.
