claim: 82% of the public are now wearing face masks [or coverings] on Translink buses and trains in Northern Ireland.
evidence: On 30 July 2020, surveys were conducted on 38 separate train services (across the Portadown, Bangor, Larne, Londonderry and Portrush lines); with a full passenger count taken by the on-board conductor along with the number of customers wearing a face covering; Between 30 and 31 July 2020, similar surveys were conducted on 361 Ulsterbus services, 424 Metro services and an unstated number of Glider services in Belfast; the number of passengers embarking and alighting was recorded at Translink bus stations along with a count of the number of passengers not wearing a face covering; some services were surveyed mid-route; An earlier response from the Translink freedom of information team explained that 30-31 July surveys on rail and bus services “found the number using face coverings was over 80%, showing an increasing trend”; and Translink informed FactCheckNI that the evidence for “an increasing trend” came from two previous surveys.