DON’T MISS
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Swiss news & articles
Mask mandate on Swiss public transport hotly debated as compliance slumps
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Mask mandate on Swiss public transport hotly debated as compliance slumps

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

April 2025 in Switzerland: 10 major changes expats need to know aboutApril 2025 in Switzerland: 10 major changes expats need to know about
October 2024: 10 changes expats in Switzerland need to know aboutOctober 2024: 10 changes expats in Switzerland need to know about
9 important things expats in Switzerland need to know about in October 20239 important things expats in Switzerland need to know about in October 2023
Zurich tramline to be completely suspended due to large increase in sick leaveZurich tramline to be completely suspended due to large increase in sick leave
Swiss unions raise concerns over stressed and overworked bus driversSwiss unions raise concerns over stressed and overworked bus drivers
Mask-only carriage on Swiss trains proposed for immunocompromised peopleMask-only carriage on Swiss trains proposed for immunocompromised people
7 things expats in Switzerland need to know about in December 20217 things expats in Switzerland need to know about in December 2021
Famous panoramic Glacier Express now requires COVID certificateFamous panoramic Glacier Express now requires COVID certificate
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemapRSS feeds
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Feb 24, 2022
Jan de Boer

Editor at IamExpat Media

Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016. While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more

The public transport operator for Canton Bern, Bernmobil, has said that it does not understand why masks remain mandatory on public transport but not in shops and other businesses. A survey by 20 minuten has found that compliance with mask rules has declined significantly over the last week.

Compliance with mask mandates declining in Switzerland

The mask mandate on public transport and in hospitals is part of the few COVID restrictions that remain in place in Switzerland, after the major relaxations announced on February 16. Now, a survey by 20 minuten has indicated that many are not following the rules on trains, trams and buses.

Bernmobil confirmed that during evenings and weekends, there is a significant drop in the number of people wearing masks, although rush-hour traffic is still widely compliant. A spokesperson for Bernmobil, Rolf Meyer, said, “When you don't have to wear a mask when you go out, but you do before and after using public transport," keeping compliance high remains a challenge.

Masks on Swiss public transport hotly debated

Meyer said that the company doesn’t “understand why public transport was exempted from the easing, especially since passenger numbers are still well below the numbers seen before the COVID pandemic." In their view, lifting the mask requirement would have been appropriate for public transport, as the conditions in their vehicles are the same as in shops, clubs, bars and when working.

As well as those not following the mask rules, Central President of the Union of Transport Workers, Ralph Kessler, said that employees are having to mediate between angry passengers more frequently: “Since the mask requirement was lifted, we have seen more people who do not wear the mask at all or wear it incorrectly."

However, he clarified that he thought continuing the mask mandate was the right thing to do, as it protects employees of the railways. He said that the mandate makes sense for public transport as people remain in close contact for far longer on long-distance trains than in shops and bars.

Sociology professor Katja Rost made the case for a “uniform” rule on masks in order to cause less confusion. "People have to relearn, all of a sudden, old social norms and associated etiquette," she noted, arguing that many people simply forget to wear masks as it is no longer the norm. She said that the decision to keep masks in trains but not in other businesses was a good “Swiss” compromise between personal freedom and safety.

By Jan de Boer