Furious Chesterfield bus passenger writes to Boris Johnson after face mask rule ‘ignored’

Supermarket worker Martin Baker, 52, from Clay Cross, claimed ‘75 per cent’ of passengers travelling on the Stagecoach 54 service from Chesterfield to Clay Cross at around 5.15pm on Saturday (19 September) were without a mask. The majority of them were kids at the back of the bus “singing and dancing”, Martin said.

It is a legal requirement to wear a face covering on public transport in England for anyone over the age of 11 unless you have a medical exemption.

Martin said: “I was pretty disgusted. I’m annoyed that they bring these laws in but no one seems to be bothered about them.

"I don’t like wearing a mask, I wear glasses and it steams them up but it’s respecting other people. We need to start working together and we might concur it [coronavirus].”

The bus driver reportedly told Martin it is “not his job” to ensure passengers wear a face covering while on board.

Martin said: “I got close to turning around and saying ‘Is it all about profit and not about people’s safety?’

"I was so annoyed [...] It was me who said ‘Don’t you think you should be wearing a mask?’ Why should I have to put myself in the firing line?”

He added: “I was more concerned I was going to bring it home. It’s heightened my fear over it.

"It’s not right, so I turned round and opened my trap. I shouldn’t have but I was fed up.”

Both of Martin’s parents are in the ‘at-risk category’ from Covid-19.

He has since reported the incident to Derbyshire Constabulary and written to Lee Rowley, the Conservative MP for North East Derbyshire, as well as Boris Johnson.

Martin said: “I have emailed the Prime Minister’s office to see what he thinks about it, seems as he’s making a big song and dance about it.”

While he has yet to receive a reply from Mr Johnson, Mr Rowley said he will raise the matter with Derbyshire Constabulary.

Mr Rowley told Martin he has witnessed "the vast, vast majority of people” in North East Derbyshire “doing the right thing and are using face coverings without being asked”.

A Derbyshire Constabulary spokesperson said: "It is the responsibility of all organisations to engage, explain and encourage the use of facemasks to help prevent the spread of this virus.”

Phil Medlicott, managing director for Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: “We have extensive additional safety measures in place so our services are fully Covid-19 secure, but we also need customers to follow the new rules to keep everybody safe. Our experience is that the vast majority of passengers have been doing the right thing, however it is crucially important that people understand that they have a legal responsibility to wear a face covering and refusal to do so may incur a fine from the police.

“Ultimately, only police forces have the powers to enforce the new regulations by fining those not wearing face coverings as required. We will continue to appeal to customers to act responsibly and follow the government's rules.”