South Korea has launched a “no-mask, no-ride” policy for public transportation to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus infections.

The Korean government has allowed taxi or bus drivers to refuse to give rides to passengers who are not wearing masks since May 26.

Although there is no law to regulate passengers without masks, Seoul has eased a clause that bans drivers from rejecting passengers for the time being.

The strengthened measures came amid another wave of COVID-19 infections in the capital city and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said the no-mask, no-ride policy is expected to enable passengers to use public transport without having to worry about possible transmission.


By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)