Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support the Government provides to bus drivers when a passenger (a) boards without a face covering or (b) removes their face covering after boarding during the covid-19 outbreak.

The regulations include new powers for operators to deny access to a service, or direct someone to leave a service, who is not wearing a face covering and does not have an exemption. Transport operators have discretion over how they use these powers depending on operational circumstances.

As is usual practice, if a passenger is acting anti-socially or against the rules, staff will be able to call the police. The police have new powers to remove people from vehicles if they do not comply with the rules, using reasonable force if necessary.