Rutland County Council is warning that face coverings must be worn on all forms of public transport from Monday 15 June.

The change is being introduced on the same day that non-essential shops and businesses are permitted to reopen.

Anyone wanting to travel by bus, coach, train, tram, aircraft or ferry must wear a face covering or they may not be allowed to travel. Government guidelines do contain a number of exceptions for very young children, people with a disability and those with breathing difficulties.

Surgical masks are not essential, meaning passengers can use a simple face covering made at home.

Rutland County Council is also reminding residents to continue maintaining social distancing and other safety measures whenever possible. This includes:

Staying two metres apart

Washing or sanitising hands as frequently as possible

Buses will be operating at a reduced capacity in order to allow social distancing on board. They will only be able to stop when there is enough space to let someone on, or when a passenger wants. Once full to capacity, drivers will only be able to let one passenger on for each that gets off.

Coun Lucy Stephenson, Cabinet Member for Transport said: "Following government guidelines, we want to remind passengers that face coverings must be worn on all forms of public transport from Monday 15 June. This is for the safety of everyone on board.

"Because of social distancing rules, services will be running at limited capacity for the time being, so please look out for and respect 'bus full' signs. We urge people to be patient and help others by prioritising those with urgently travel needs, like a doctor's appointment or work-related journey.

"The response from residents to COVID-19 measures has been fantastic so far and we want to thank everyone for their cooperation. We need to continue working together to ensure we're able to get back to normality as quickly and safely as possible."

Government advice remains that people should avoid travelling on public transport wherever possible, considering cycling, walking or driving first if travel is essential. For those who have no alternative to public transport, it is vital to understand the steps needed to maintain their own safety and that of others and help reduce demand on the transport networks.

Residents who would like more information and advice about COVID-19 can visit: www.rutland.gov.uk/coronavirus.

For more information about travelling on public transport during the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit: www.gov.uk/coronavirus.