BRADFORD’S bus and rail operators have urged customers to be respectful and wear face masks at “busy times” after the July 19 dropping of Covid rules comes into force.

From Monday, people will no longer be legally required to wear face coverings in enclosed public spaces, while social distancing rules and limits on gatherings will also be scrapped.

July 19 sees the final step of the roadmap out of lockdown come into force after it was delayed from June 21 to allow more people to be vaccinated.

While people will not be legally required to wear a mask, the Government has said it “expects” people to use common sense and courtesy and where them in certain situations, such as on busy public transport.

Arriva, which runs bus services in Bradford and also runs Grand Central Rail, said it will be following industry guidance from the Confederation of Passenger Transport on face coverings after July 19.

Following the confirmation of Covid rules being scrapped on July 19, in a statement the CPT said: “We expect that many people, especially in busy places, will follow the Prime Minister’s call to continue to wear a face covering as a courtesy to others.

“Passengers though will find it difficult to understand why the Prime Minister has singled out public transport as somewhere to wear a face covering when a range of other activities share its characteristics.

“We now need to see clear guidance for operators and customers but, in the absence of regulations, it is important that we respect everyone’s right to choose whether to wear a face covering.

“The industry is doing everything it can to ensure people can travel with confidence. Operators will continue to deliver enhanced cleaning regimes, ensure buses are well ventilated and provide tools such as apps to allow customers to see how busy their bus is and help plan their journey in advance.”

Local rail operator Northern said it is following guidance from the Rail Delivery Group, which said: “Rail companies will ask people to follow the government guidance and, out of respect for others, wear face coverings if an indoor setting is busy.

“Train travel is low risk, with the majority of carriages well ventilated by air conditioning systems or by doors and windows.

“As restrictions lift, we will continue carrying out extra cleaning and providing better information about how busy services are, so that our passengers can travel with confidence.”

First Buses West Yorkshire said it is waiting for further Government guidance before making a final decision.

A spokesperson said: “We are working with our industry partners to understand the implications of Government’s announcement on easing social distancing measures in England and we are awaiting more detailed guidance.

“We continue to help our customers to plan journeys with app technology that gives them live updates on bus capacity and seating, together with practical measures such as enhanced daily cleaning with long-lasting sanitiser to maintain safe travel.”

Transdev has also been contacted for comment.