From Saturday in Hesse: Anyone wishing to use public transport is obliged to wear a medical mask. Stadtwerke Gießen will also monitor this for the protection of all passengers. Observations on the buses have shown that many passengers have already prepared themselves for the changed regulation of the Hessian state government and are wearing the necessary masks.
From 23 January, everyday masks or scarves will no longer be sufficient to cover the mouth and nose when using public transport. All passengers must wear medical masks over their nose and mouth. Legislation allows a choice between surgical masks or virus-filtering masks of the FFP2, KN95 and N95 standards. To ensure compliance with the new rules, Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG) and its local transport subsidiary MIT.BUS are obliged to carry out checks. In fact, in accordance with the conditions of carriage applicable in the Rhine-Main public transport network, offenders face a contractual penalty of 50 euros and will be asked to leave the bus immediately. "The conditions of carriage in connection with the amended Hessian Corona Ordinance are not fulfilled without a medical mask," explains Anne Müller-Kreutz, Head of the Local Transport Services Department at SWG.
In order to facilitate the transition to the new, stricter regulations, Stadtwerke Gießen is supporting its passengers in the short term. The testing staff have a limited number of masks with them for the time being. In individual cases, they will hand these out to passengers who are not wearing or carrying the correct face masks - always accompanied by instructions on the current conditions adapted to the situation.
However, this procedure should not encourage people to try travelling without a medical mask. After all, nobody has a right to such an allowance. "Once the quota has been used up, the affected passengers will continue to be instructed and will then also have to leave the bus," emphasises Anne Müller-Kreutz. The Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund also wants to support passengers in obtaining the necessary masks by organising a mask distribution campaign at Giessen station at the beginning of the week.
Offer remains unchanged
In addition to the new mask regulations, SWG is of course doing everything in its power to reduce the risk of infection. "Although there are currently no schoolchildren travelling, the buses are running as usual according to the timetable on school days," adds Anne Müller-Kreutz. This should lead to a noticeable reduction in the number of passengers per vehicle, allowing more social distancing on the bus.
Of course, advice is still available at the RMV mobility centre from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm. The same applies here: entry only with a medical mask. And often a personal visit to the marketplace is not even necessary. This is because many questions can simply be clarified by telephone on 0641 708-1400 or by e-mail to mobizentrale@stadtwerke-giessen.de. You can also find lots of information on the internet: www.swg-verkehr.de or www.rmv.de.