In the Barcelona metro network you can now buy hydroalcoholic gel and masks in vending machines. So far, about 10 machines have been installed to reinforce the protection of travelers. In fact, 96% of subway users already use masks to access transportation.
The machines will dispense mask packs of 10 units at a cost of 10 euros. The first automatic dispensers have been installed at the stations of: Catalunya, La Sagrera, Espanya (interchange), Sagrada Família, Verdaguer, Diagonal and Lesseps.
The strategy for selling masks in vending machines
Through the installation of vending machines in seven subway stations, citizens will have an easy and accessible point of purchase for masks at official prices.
This strategy in the subway seeks to reinforce the safety of travelers in Barcelona and join other actions for the prevention of transport users and therefore their families.
According to the Councilor for Mobility and President of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona Rosa Alarcón, this initiative is complemented by the free distribution of 225,000 masks by the Red Cross and the Barcelona City Council. These elements were distributed in subway stations and in some strategic mobility points in the city during the past week.
In the same way, the use of face masks has also become widespread in buses, where the need to install a polycarbonate partition has been raised. The protection is installed in order to separate the driver’s area from the passenger area. They will be retrofitted in June on approximately 1,140 buses in the Barcelona metropolitan area.
The purpose of these facilities is to ensure compliance with passenger distancing measures. In addition, access to the buses will be through the second door and the sale of tickets on board is prohibited.
The municipal government also guarantees that a hygiene and disinfection protocol for the metro and bus network is being implemented in conjunction with Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona. All in order to ensure the safety of users.
The Councilor for Mobility expressed her satisfaction with the compliance with the distancing and hygiene rules. In fact, they have been successfully implemented in buses and the subway as part of the de-escalation that the city is undergoing.
Fines for non-use of masks
Since the beginning of May, the use of protection has been mandatory, and the sale of masks in vending machines in the subway has been more widely accepted. However, you should not forget that the police already have the authority to fine those who do not use it. Initially, it will be an educational warning, then a financial fine may follow.
