At Offenbach’s market square, Offenbach’s head of mobility, Sabine Groß, and Prof. Knut Ringat, the managing director of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund, opened a campaign promoting the wearing of mouth-nose protection on S-Bahn trains and buses.
Offenbach – Sabine Groß is certainly not as popular as radio presenter Daniel Fischer or writer Susanne Fröhlich, who hang posters from the roller stands next to her. But as a city councilor in Offenbach, she is responsible for both health and mobility. In addition, she sits on the supervisory board of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV). So it is not surprising that the Green politician starts the RMV campaign “I wear a mask for you” together with RMV managing director Professor Knut Ringat at the Offenbach-Marktplatz S-Bahn station. This is the carrot, so to speak, before RMV inspectors are allowed to swing the stick of fines if they refuse to mask.
Celebrities on posters
Several hundred masks for mouth and nose protection will be distributed to passengers at the start of the campaign. In addition, the RMV was able to win over celebrities who support the campaign with their likeness on posters. In addition to Fischer and Fröhlich, these include the Eintracht kickers Kevin Trapp and Bas Dost, the radio and TV presenter Tobias Kämmerer and the Frankfurt rapper Moses Pelham.
It is not just about wearing a mask yourself, but also about drawing attention to the fact that it is important to wear such protection on buses and trains, explains Sabine Groß. With the currently high number of infections, everyone must show solidarity, “keep your distance, adhere to the hygiene rules, wear an everyday mask correctly, use the Corona app – these are the simple and important things.” With controls of the mask requirement in public spaces as well as on buses and Rail or even with distribution campaigns like today, everything is done to break the chains of infection, ”continues Sabine Groß. Therefore, the RMV’s campaign is only to be welcomed.
Not by chance in Offenbach
RMV managing director Ringat makes it clear that the campaign did not start by chance in Offenbach. “We all want to be safe on buses and trains. If the seven-day incidence is over 300, you have to do something, ”said Ringat. Surveys among passengers have shown that around 90 percent of them think wearing masks is important.
According to its managing director, the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund has invested around 250,000 euros since mid-August so that additional employees can point out the obligation to cover their mouth and nose on buses and trains and distribute masks.
From January 50 euro fine
And it doesn’t stop at the admonition. For those who still remain unapologetic, it can become expensive in the future. The RMV has adjusted its conditions of carriage so that from January 1st, the inspection staff can demand a contractual penalty of 50 euros if someone is traveling in local public transport without a mask.
Passengers who were found without a mouth and nose covering could only be excluded from continuing their journey on the basis of house rules. Only the regulatory authorities, who regularly checked in stations and vehicles together with the transport companies and the RMV, were authorized to impose a fine.
From Peter Klein
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