Covid: Maskless Tube passengers owe Transport for London £142,000 in fines

To stop the spread of Covid-19 people had to wear face coverings in shops and on public transport

Passengers owe Transport for London (TfL) an estimated £142,000 in unpaid fines for not wearing face coverings on London's transport network when it was mandatory to do so.

Compulsory face coverings were put in place to stop the spread of coronavirus and reinstated amid rising concerns about the Omicron variant.

This rule was removed on 24 February.

City Hall figures revealed nearly 4,000 passengers were issued with fines when masks were mandatory.

The fines were reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days.

New data from City Hall has revealed there are 710 unpaid fines meaning TfL can prosecute.

Face coverings were made mandatory on public transport in England from June 2021 until February 2022

Of the 710 unpaid penalties, 532 cases are currently being prosecuted, or people have had letters issued to them.

A further 178 cases are currently open and remain unpaid and awaiting prosecution, the mayor of London said.

He added: "As all of the cases have passed the 14-day period, they will be valued at £200.

"Therefore, TfL estimates the total outstanding value is £142,000."

'Legal requirement'

The information was released following a question to the Mayor's Office from Labour Assembly member Krupesh Hirani.

During the periods where it was mandatory to wear a mask to stop the spread of coronavirus, 7,283 people were stopped on London's transport network for not wearing a mask, according to City Hall data.

Figures also showed 2,325 passengers were asked to leave the network.

The majority of 3,996 passengers who were issued with fines paid up within the 14-day time period.

Reacting to both questions from Mr Hirani, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the safety of TfL's customers and staff is "always a top priority".

He added: "A range of measures helped to ensure customers can travel safely and confidently on TfL's services during the pandemic, including requiring face coverings as a condition of carriage both before and after they were a legal requirement, and continuing to strongly encourage them today."

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