Health Secretary Matt Hancock ruled out a law-change earlier this week forcing people to wear them on trains and buses.
But a new survey indicates 77% of commuters would feel more confident about using public transport if masks were made mandatory.
Currently, just 13 percent of people say they feel “relaxed” about returning to public transport. More than a third – 35% – say it has left them feeling “anxious”. While nearly one fifth – 18% – have stopped using trains and buses altogether.
Dash Tabor, the founder of TUBR, a transport app which carried out the poll, has now criticised the Government for not making the wearing of masks mandatory.
She said: “Our research shows that masks provide a sense of confidence and security which is particularly important in closed spaces with less fresh air like the London Underground, buses and trains. This is a simple way to help people feel protected and we see little reason to remove these requirements as we continue to adjust to reentering society.
“We ran a survey in March asking people how they felt about coming out of lock down and 29% of people told us the thing they thought would be the biggest adjustment was “learning how to socialise again.” Masks make the re-adjustment transaction a little softer and there is no reason to rush to remove the simplest thing we can do to protect future spreads.
“Commuters are still incredibly anxious about using public transport and the longer this carries on, the less chance there is of us being able to return to normality.
“Passengers clearly think mandatory masks would be a step in the right direction. We now need to see the Government issue clear advice that helps renew confidence and get the country moving safely again.”
Tubr, which is a free app, helps people using the City’s underground to travel safely and avoid crowds. It helps people using the City’s Underground travel via a free app which alerts them to station crowds and congestion. Via cutting-edge technology, TUBR accurately monitors and tracks passenger levels at stations then feeds back information to users planning a journey.
