Sunday December 27, 2020
Driving ban for mask refusers
Bahn threatens to be excluded from transport
Masks are required at train stations and on trains. Incorrigible mask refusers have so far got off quite lightly, usually with a warning. But soon repeat offenders may have to avoid local and long-distance public transport altogether.
Deutsche Bahn is considering tightening its penalties for those who refuse to wear a mask. The group is examining whether an exclusion from transport can be imposed on passengers who are repeatedly caught on trains without a mouth and nose covering, as reported by "Welt am Sonntag". This type of punishment is already used in individual cases for football fans who rioted on a train while driving to or from a game.
According to the newspaper, the railway relies on Paragraph 4, Paragraph 2 of the Railway Traffic Regulations. According to a DB spokesman, this means that an exclusion from carriage "can be pronounced preventively in the event of imminent danger". "Anyone who repeatedly refuses to wear a mouth and nose cover in public transport without being able to make an exception credible is violating the corona protection regulations of the federal states and thus creates a risk of repetition for public safety and order."
Criminal charges, fines, jail
According to the Federal Police, almost 200,000 people were found during controls between September 12 and December 7, who would have been threatened with being expelled from the train or the train station, including a fine. In most cases, however, the officials left it with a warning if the passengers immediately put on a mask.
Passengers who have been banned from transport would face further violations in the future for trespassing. This could be punished with a fine or even a prison sentence of up to a year.
The exclusion from carriage would primarily be of a symbolic nature; those affected could not be prevented from boarding a train. The fact that they are repeat offenders would only be noticed during another mask or ticket check. With its threat, Deutsche Bahn is focusing primarily on a deterrent effect.
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