Companions in public transport require a mandatory mask

What has long been common practice in many countries around the world remains a hotly debated topic in Switzerland: mask requirement outside, in public space. But people who wear a mask remain the large minority in the country. Also on the tram, on the train or on the bus when there is a crowd. Train personnel are now required to wear masks, at least in public transport.

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Even in well-filled cars during rush hour traffic, commuters and travelers hardly wear masks. According to an estimate by the railway workers’ union SEV, only about five percent of train passengers wear a mask, as SEV secretary Jürg Hurni told the VIEW.

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The train staff is accordingly unsettled, said Andreas Menet, President of the Train Staff Association, the “NZZ am Sonntag”. Despite the recommendation of the federal government, hardly anyone wears masks to protect others from being infected.

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Mask mandatory required

If train attendants wear a mask, Menet says, this serves to protect passengers in advance. Conversely, it is therefore desirable that the passengers travel masked too, in order to protect the personnel. “Otherwise, the protection concept remains one-sided,” said Menet.

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The train staff therefore demand that in the future it will only be possible to travel on the train wearing a mask. A general obligation should tighten the mere, hardly noticed recommendation for wearing a mask, says Menet.

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But it seems to be a difficult to impossible endeavor to convince Swiss people to wear a mask. Transport companies continue to rely on personal responsibility and the solidarity of passengers. The federal government is also not considering rethinking. Daniel Koch (65), a ceded pandemic delegate from the country, repeated this week that protective masks are only displayed if the necessary distance cannot be maintained. Which, strictly speaking, would be the case in a crowded commuter train.

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Will the indifference take revenge?

It is unlikely that public transport will be the only industry to introduce a special rule regarding mask requirements, said the new SBB boss Vincent Ducrot (57) this week. This, although the highest rail operator in Switzerland admits that mask wearing does not yet work as desired in all public transport.

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The question of the mask requirement remains controversial – and unsolved. This, although it now appears to be undisputed, that wearing masks offers at least fewer disadvantages than advantages in isolating the virus.

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