From next Monday (15 June) face coverings will be mandatory on public transport in England to help reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus when social distancing is not always possible. A face covering is a simple cloth that covers your nose and mouth, and the Government has published guidance on How to wear and make a cloth face covering. Anyone using public transport who does not wear a face covering could receive a fine.

Wherever possible, people should continue to work from home and avoid public transport, and the Government has published Safer travel guidance for passengers. Transport for London (TfL) is encouraging passengers who must travel to consider walking or cycling as part of their journey, or getting off a stop or two early to reduce numbers on Tubes and buses.

Next Monday will also see Thames Clippers resuming services for passengers on a temporary timetable. Services will run between 6:00am and 9:00pm on weekdays and between 9:30am and 7:30pm on weekends, with park and ride available from the O2 for £8 per day for Thames Clippers customers. All passengers will be required to maintain social distancing, wear a face covering and pay by contactless, and the on‐board café will reopen for takeaway service only.

Travel and Accommodation

To help contractors working away from home find local accommodation: Build UK has temporarily repurposed its Open Doors website. There are now 340 providers listed offering 22,000 beds.

An Essential Workers letter has been prepared to support the booking process.  This can be downloaded here.