Commuters pack into Tubes again – but not all have face masks amid warnings to avoid stations at rush-hour

COMMUTERS heading to work in the capital packed onto Tubes this morning – but not everyone was wearing the masks recommended by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Officials from Transport for London (TfL) say the Underground is back to 75 per cent capacity as Brits begin to get back to work this week, but some major stations are asking workers to avoid using services at peak times.

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Commuters packed onto Underground service this morning as Brits begin to return to work[/caption]

Peter Jordan - The Sun

Commuters have been asked to wear masks – although the Government hasn’t made it a compulsory measure[/caption]

EPA

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says only essential journeys should be carried out by public transport – and all travellers need to wear masks[/caption]

Yesterday, travel bosses were forced to release a list of their busiest stations in a bid to keep travellers safe after some services were crowded with people yesterday morning.

And British Transport Police officers are patrolling platforms to make sure rush-hour mayhem is avoided.

This morning, commuters have been told not to travel through stations during peak hours.

Signs at Canary Wharf warns passengers to avoid using the station between 5.45am and 8.15am, and between 4pm and 5.30pm.

The tube was flagged up yesterday as one of the most crowded.

Mr Khan has made it clear London is still in full lockdown.

The mayor has faced criticism after announcing plans to increase the charges for vehicles driving in central London from June.

Underground passengers will face higher costs in the coming months too.

In a post on social media urging people to use public transport for essential reasons only, he said: “I want to be clear with Londoners: lockdown has not been lifted. #COVID19 is still an extremely dangerous threat.

“Continue to stay at home as much as possible this weekend.

“If you need to use public transport for essential travel, wear a non-medical face covering at all times.”

Yesterday, Network Rail chief Sir Peter said face coverings are not mandatory for passengers.

However, he added that people working in the rail industry are “all very keen” for people to wear them, adding: “We want people to stay apart if they humanly can and if they can’t, then a face covering is a quite sensible thing to do for the brief moments when you might be getting on or off a train or moving through a station.”

At some stations, commuters will see stickers on the floor showing them how to socially distance, while hand sanitiser dispensers have been installed at major transport hubs like King’s Cross.

Passengers travelling by train are asked to keep a two metre distance from other people where possible.

Operators could also block off seats in close proximity to others and removing face-to-face seating.

Unions are stepping up calls for safety measures to be in place as more people are set to return to offices, factories and building sites.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) called for new compulsory protections for passengers and rail workers.

Measures should include compulsory two-metre social distancing on trains and wearing of face masks by passengers, which should be provided for free at stations, said the union.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “We are opposed to the early relaxation of lockdown measures and believe that non-essential workers should avoid using trains.

“When people absolutely must use a train there should be new compulsory protections.

“There should be compulsory two-metre social distancing on all trains.”

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Platforms at Tube stations are beginning to get busy once again[/caption]

�2020 Gustavo Valiente / i-Images

Transport for London says 75 per cent of its services are now running[/caption]

Press Association

Canning Town was busy yet again this morning[/caption]

Peter Jordan - The Sun

Bosses at TfL say they’re running 75 per cent of services[/caption]

Public transport operators yesterday started to carry many more commuters to work.

The move comes at the start of the first full working week since Boris Johnson set out his plan for easing the coronavirus lockdown in England, urging those employees unable to work from home to return to their places of employment.

Industry body the Rail Delivery Group has said that services will be increased from around 50 per cent of the standard timetable to 70 per cent.

However, capacity will be reduced to as little as 10 per cent of normal levels to ensure social distancing measures are maintained.

‘PROTECTION FOR PASSENGERS MUST BE COMPULSORY’

While some services have been crowded with people, including the train between East Ham and Upton Park, which saw many crowded in close together, others have been quieter.

King’s Cross, one of London’s major transport hubs, has been much less busy than usual.

Daniel Croft, 37, said: “The trains have been completely empty, even this last week – even the Tubes have been empty.”

When asked if he thought people would try and maintain social distancing as commuter numbers rise, he said: “No – even if you walk through Hyde Park it is absolutely rammed, people don’t try and stay apart.”

The train drivers’ union Aslef claims members are being told to go back to work in the same way they were before the pandemic began.

Finn Brennan, Aslef’s organiser on London Underground, said: “Despite our objections, London Underground has insisted that train drivers revert to working as they did before the Covid-19 crisis.

“They are being told that they can no longer continue to work in the safer way that they have been working over the last six weeks.”

At least 42 TfL workers have died with coronavirus, he said.

Yesterday, Britain’s coronavirus death toll hit 34,796 after 160 more people died of the illness across the UK.

It’s the lowest rise since lockdown began.

However, officials from NHS England said the Covid-19 patient notification system stopped working temporarily on May 16.

The glitch might have had an impact on the number of deaths reported today, and a spokesperson said the total is “lower than would be expected”.

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Many commuters aren’t wearing masks as they take packed Tube services[/caption]

PA:Press Association

Unions have called for more safety measures to be put in place for commuters and drivers[/caption]

London News Pictures

Roads around London are busier too as Brits get back to work[/caption]

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Canary Wharf bosses are asking commuters to avoid the station during peak times[/caption]

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