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Control in a regional train
Photo:
Ina Fassbender / AFP
The majority of the federal states refuse to instruct their transport companies to collect fines for violating the mask requirement.
According to SPIEGEL information, this is the result of a switching conference of the state transport ministers on Wednesday.
Originally, at their last meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel in August, the Prime Ministers agreed to regulate the levying of fines in the transport companies in addition to uniform minimum penalties.
In a joint declaration by the federal states and the Federal Ministry of Transport, among others, it now says: "The levying of fines for violations of the mask requirement remains the responsibility of the responsible authorities."
The refusal is likely to lead to discussions next Tuesday, when the heads of government of the countries discuss how to deal with the pandemic again with Merkel.
The Chancellor is becoming increasingly frustrated because some federal states are resisting stricter measures in the fight against pandemics.
"Rude approached by mask refusers"
The Lower Saxony CDU transport minister Bernd Althusmann justified his rejection with the safety of the employees in local public transport.
"Unfortunately, the employees are repeatedly attacked by the small but notorious minority of mask refusers, sometimes violently," he told SPIEGEL.
"That's why I think little of them collecting the fine."
The authorities or the police are responsible for this, according to Althusmann.
Sometimes it is already risky when bus drivers or train conductors forbid mask refusers to board or to continue their journey.
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