NYC Imposing Fines For Not Wearing Masks On Public Transportation

NYC’s Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state impossed a $50 fine to anyone who doesn’t wear a mask on subways, MTA buses, and trains. 

Cuomo wants to make sure that people feel comfortable coming back to public transportation and said: “We want people on Metro-North, LIRR, and the subway system. They know the cars are cleaner, disinfected. The last variable is are the other riders on the trains recognizing social distancing and are they wearing masks. That’s what people want to know. If I get on the LIRR, Metro-North, subway car, will other people be wearing masks? Yes, 90%. Well, I’m nervous about COVID. I want to make sure that compliance is very high. And they are right,”.

Amind enforcement plan for people feeling safe, MTA Chairman and CEO Pat Foye explained: “At the governor’s direction, on Monday the MTA will file a rule on an emergency rule basis with the New York Secretary of State,” and then added: “That rule will provide for a $50 fine for failure to comply with the mask directive.”

Foye continued: “Achieving universal mask compliance is our goal,” Foye said. “It’s a matter of respect for ones fellow co commuters and MTA employees.”

The use of masks will be enforced by the MTA Police and in some places by the NYPD. They are providing customers with masks and the MTA has already distributed more than 4 million.

Also, Sarah Feinberg who is the Interim President of the New York Transit Authority commented on the subject: “This is targeting the small population of folks who are refusing to wear a mask. There may be folks in the system who are wearing a mask improperly, the weather is hot, they are uncomfortable or for whatever reason. Generally, those are not the folks who refuse to put a mask on properly when directed.”

To enhance the safety measures, they installed free surgical mask dispensers inside 360 buses across 15 routes.