Muslim women who wear the face veil in Denmark will now have to bare their faces when their travel passes are being checked, Arriva — one of the country’s leading transport operators — said Tuesday.
“All bus companies have recently come to an agreement on this point as it is normal that passengers holding photo travel passes should identify themselves to the driver or the conductor,” Arriva spokesman Martin Wex said.
” I don’t drive with veiled women because I don’t drive with masked passengers ”
Bus driver
Those passengers who refuse to show their faces will be forced to buy another ticket to get on board, he said, adding that the policy would also apply to some Arriva train services in Denmark. According to Arriva, the new nationwide rules will remove any doubt that both drivers and passengers may have regarding face covering on board busses.
In March a woman was not allowed to get on an Arriva bus in Aarhus, the second largest city in Denmark, by the driver who insisted she remove her face veil. “I don’t drive with veiled women because I don’t drive with masked passengers,” the driver said.
The matter was resolved when another passenger called the transport operator who reprimanded him and told him to allow the woman to enter the bus along with her family.
Arriva apologized to the woman and her family and said the issue was based on a misunderstanding.