Bus drivers say no to veil ban

Members of the T&G union at Lothian Buses in Edinburgh have spoken out against a new rule instructing them to ask women wearing a veil to show their faces if they are using a bus pass.

Management says that the rule follows “best practice” in the travel industry.

Many drivers at the company disagree.

One of them said, “All the drivers are raging about this. It seems unnecessary – and we risk being branded racist.”

The T&G has said they will consider strike action if the rule is not withdrawn.

Osama Saeed, Scottish spokesperson for the Muslim Association of Britain, has pointed out that the rules come in the context of rising racism against Muslims.

He said, “In the current climate, I don’t think there are many women in Edinburgh wearing a veil, let alone getting on buses to evade fares.”