Passengers on London's tubes, trains and buses will still be expected to wear face masks once Plan B restrictions are lifted at the end of the month.
On Wednesday, prime minister Boris Johnson announced an end to Plan B's compulsory mask-wearing on public transport and in shops, and also the dropping of work-from-home guidance and vaccine certificates — in effect from 26 January.
However, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has said that TfL will continue its policy of enforcing masks across its services (apart, of course from those who are exempt) for the foreseeable future.
"If we have learnt anything from this pandemic, it is that we must not get complacent and undo all our hard work and sacrifices," said Khan. "That's why face coverings will remain a condition of carriage on TfL services.
"I'm asking everyone in our capital to do the right thing and continue to wear a face covering when travelling on TfL services to keep us all protected and to prevent further restrictions from being necessary later down the line."
Though the vast and complicated task of marshalling mask-wearing across London's transport network is unenviable, TfL has issued a number of fines to passengers since Plan B came into effect, and will presumably continue to do so.
The situation is complicated by the fact that TfL does not control all of London's rail services. Other operators may choose not to mandate mask wearing. Whatever the rules say, wearing a mask in any confined and busy space is a sensible precaution while cases remain high.
Let's be honest, no one likes wearing a mask, but the alternative is being lumped in with that Piers Corbyn mob and their deranged farting ballads. Take your pick.
