Face facts: mandatory masks not ideal By: Editorial Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Friday, Jun. 5, 2020

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/06/2020 (1924 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Is masked transit the future of mass transit?

Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) has called for the mandatory use of non-medical face coverings by Winnipeg Transit passengers to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. There is growing precedent for implementing such a measure: Ottawa is the first city in Canada to officially make non-medical masks a requirement for passengers and staff on its public transit system; those rules go into effect on June 15. Across the pond, England has also declared face coverings compulsory on public transport.

Non-medical masks have been a requirement for Canadian airline passengers since the middle of April. On June 3, Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau expanded those requirements to include flight crew and airport staff, as well as rail and marine workers.

On its face, pardon the pun, making masks mandatory isn’t a bad idea in theory. In May, Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, recommended all Canadians wear masks in public as an “added layer of protection” when physical distancing is not possible. Physical distancing is not always possible on the bus, despite Winnipeg Transit’s directives to travel at off-peak times and only for essential trips, maintain distance between oneself and others at bus stops and while riding the bus, and not board an already-crowded bus.

But there’s theory, and then there’s practice. For one, how “mandatory” is mandatory? In Ottawa, for example, rides will not be refused to non-compliant passengers, taking into consideration that some people may not have access to masks. In England, meanwhile, fines may be handed down for those flouting the rules, but questions remain about how, exactly, compliance will be enforced when the compulsory mask rule takes effect later this month.

How quickly “mandatory” becomes a suggestion.

In Canada, airline passengers must prove they have the required non-medical mask or other face covering with them; if they don’t, they could be denied boarding. Not so in the United States, where many airline passengers are frustrated with the lack of enforcement — as well as the lack of clarity — on masking, per a recent story in the New York Times. While flight crews have no issue telling passengers they must fasten their seatbelts and return their tray tables to their upright position for take off and landing, telling passengers they must don a mask appears to be a rule that is lopsidedly enforced, leaving many people wondering: what good is having a rule if there are no immediate consequences for breaking it?

If masks were to become mandatory on Winnipeg Transit buses, enforcement would largely be left to bus operators, which may not be realistic considering that safety demands the operators’ attention be directed at the road ahead and not on the passengers behind.

Perhaps, then, it’s better to focus on encouragement rather than enforcement, which can be done via formal awareness campaigns, yes, but also the visible examples of operators and riders who do choose to wear their masks. Just like adherence to physical distancing and proper hand hygiene, compliance is ultimately up individuals. Masks are just one more thing to normalize.