YOUNG people in Bolton and across Greater Manchester are being urged to wear face coverings on public transport.

Police and transport operators have joined forces to stage a series of engagement events aimed at reminding students and young people of the need to wear face coverings on public transport.

The TravelSafe Partnership has held a number of days of action at busy transport interchanges and tram stops over the last two weeks focused on young people travelling to schools and universities.

Transport for Greater Manchester Customer Director, Stephen Rhodes, said: “It is absolutely essential that those people who must use public transport, and have no alternative, can do so in confidence and in as safe an environment as possible.

“Unfortunately, we have received a number of reports of young people flaunting the guidelines on some services, and as such we have acted swiftly to educate those disregarding the safety of themselves and others.

“These targeted days of action give us an excellent opportunity to interact with students, young people and other passengers in an open-air environment while they are out on the network and explain exactly how important their actions are in terms of keeping themselves and others safe.

“We will continue to hold these days of action and ensure that young people accessing education across the region remain aware of their responsibilities when travelling.”