The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is urging Londoners and visitors to remember that face coverings remain compulsory on all TfL services as Government restrictions ease today. This means passengers on the Tube, bus, tram, DLR, Overground and TfL Rail must continue to wear a face covering in stations and the duration of the journey.
Keeping the face covering requirement will provide an extra layer of protection and additional reassurance to people using the network by going further than the Government’s messaging on face coverings on public transport after July 19.
Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) evidence states that face coverings are likely to be most effective in reducing transmission indoors where social distancing is not feasible*, and the World Health Organisation has urged that even double-vaccinated people should continue to wear face coverings in view of highly contagious variants such as Delta. Face coverings also play an important role in giving people confidence to travel, with the latest polling showing that the majority of Londoners (68 per cent) want face coverings to continue to be compulsory after July 19, and trade unions that represent transport workers have also called for this.
More people are returning to the TfL network, with Tube ridership at around 40-45 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and bus ridership at around 60-65 per cent. TfL data also shows that almost 60 per cent of its usual customer base is now travelling, which is around 2.44 million people.
Passengers are encouraged to make journeys at quieter times to help spread demand across the day. These are currently between 08:15 and 16:00 and after 17:30 during the week, and before noon and after 18:00 at weekends. The latest service information is available online and through TfL travel tools including the free TfL Go app which enables customers to access live updates and train times for every station, as well as real time information on how busy London Underground stations are throughout the day.
Last week the Mayor launched the ‘Family Fun’ season of his #LetsDoLondon campaign - the biggest domestic tourism the capital has ever seen - which will see the capital come back to life with an unprecedented range of family-friendly events and activities. With restrictions on international travel still in place, this summer is an ideal time to enjoy the capital’s attractions safely and without the crowds.
City Hall figures show that while weekend visitor numbers to central London are improving, now at around 75 per cent compared to 2019, weekday visitors are still at around 54 per cent compared to before the pandemic. Data from 2017 shows that nationally the hospitality sector generated £72bn for the UK economy, with businesses in London accounting for £16.7bn – considerably more than any other region.
As restrictions lift today, with the entertainment and hospitality sectors reopening fully for the first time since March last year, TfL is launching a new campaign to encourage people to return to the public transport network responsibly.
‘Welcome back London’ - TfL’s largest public transport focused campaign since the London 2012 Olympic Games – also aims to remind people of what they’ve missed most about our city during the past 16 months and inspire them to ‘Tube it. Bus it. Train it’.
It includes the reimagining of TfL ‘roundel’ symbols at 16 key Tube, Overground and DLR stations across London to reflect what brings people there – such as ‘Going Out Out’ in Brixton, ‘Retail Therapy’ in Shepherds Bush, ‘Best Day Ever’ in Gloucester Road, ‘Opening Night’ in Leicester Square, and ‘Here Comes The Summer’ in Hyde Park Corner.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Today’s full re-opening of the capital’s culture, hospitality and night-time economy venues is an important step, but I urge all Londoners and visitors to enjoy themselves carefully and responsibly.
“This includes continuing to follow the rules and wear a face covering for the duration of their journey on TfL services. Public transport is one of the best and most convenient ways to get around and enjoy our city, and by keeping face masks mandatory it will provide an extra layer of protection and reassurance on top of TfL’s world-leading enhanced cleaning regime.”
London’s Transport Commissioner, Andy Byford, said: “I am extremely grateful to the overwhelming majority of our customers who have complied with the requirement to wear a face covering and this remains compulsory when travelling on the TfL network. As more people return to public transport following step 4 of the Government’s plan, this will continue to help build confidence and enable people to get back to the many wonderful things about London that we have all missed during the pandemic.
"Our buses, trains and stations are cleaner than ever and well ventilated and we are running at near-normal service levels. There is plenty of capacity at the quieter to get you to the fantastic places London has to offer with the TfL Go app offering real-time information about how busy stations are. Our new TV and poster campaign welcomes everyone back to our services and demonstrates that public transport is the safe, clean and reliable way to get around this city.”
Jace Tyrrell, Chief Executive at New West End Company, said: “With the arrival of “Freedom Day”, we want to ensure that our customers remain confident using public transport and are kept well informed of any health and safety risks. With its world-renowned shops, restaurants, galleries and hotels, along with summer festivals such as Art in Mayfair and Underbelly, we hope that visitors will return with confidence to enjoy all the offerings of the West End and support our businesses.
"We also hope that those working in the West End will feel safe & comfortable returning. One in ten Londoners were working in the West End prior to the pandemic, and their presence is a driving force behind the district""s vibrancy and commercial success."
Karen Lord, Partner & Head of Branch at John Lewis Oxford Street, said: "Our London Partners are looking forward to welcoming back even more of our customers to the capital and having the opportunity to help and share their knowledge in person and provide a wonderful shopping experience. We still have measures in place like sanitizing stations and are recommending that people wear face masks in our stores (except those exempt) so shoppers can enjoy their visit in the confidence that their safety remains our absolute priority."
Bernard Donoghue, Director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, said: “Londoners’ favourite visitor attractions are looking forward to welcoming visitors and ensuring that they have a safe and comfortable visit as well as a fantastic visitor experience. Attractions will still be maintaining many of their previous social distancing and other mitigation measures, like Transport for London, for the safety and reassurance of their staff and visitors.”
Adam Tyndall, Programme Director for Connectivity at London First, said: “As London unlocks, our world-class museums, art galleries, pubs, restaurants and hotels stand ready to welcome everyone who wants to safely take advantage of all that’s on offer in the city this summer.
“Public transport is the gateway to the capital. Now is the time to make those first trips, follow the rules and build confidence, getting back into the swing of working, living and playing in the capital.”
TfL has introduced a wide range of additional measures during the pandemic to ensure that the network is cleaner than ever. TfL has introduced an enhanced cleaning regime using hospital-grade cleaning substances, and more than 1,000 hand sanitiser points and over 200 UV light devices on escalators handrails that continually kill bacteria and viruses are also keeping customers safe across the network. Buses, trains and stations are also well ventilated.
There is no evidence to suggest that public transport is any less safe than any other enclosed indoor setting with high numbers of people mixing. Independent testing by Imperial College has been carried out regularly since September, taking swabs of touch points in stations and buses and air samples in ticket halls and has found no traces of coronavirus on the public transport system.
Walking and cycling have been a lifeline for many Londoners during the pandemic, and the Mayor and TfL are doing everything they can to continue to support active travel and reduce the risk of a damaging car-based recovery. Since May 2020 more than 100km of new or upgraded cycle lanes have been built or are under construction, along with more than 22,500 square metres of extra pavement space reallocated for people walking. People are increasingly using bikes to get around their local area and for exercise, with recent TfL data showing cycling has increased by 22 per cent in outer London compared to spring 2019, with a seven per cent rise in inner London.