Transit agencies across Canada, including B.C. Transit in Victoria, have adjusted operations to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jonathan Dyck, B.C. Transit spokesman in Victoria, said ridership appears to have dropped by as much as 50 per cent during the outbreak, and with the cancellation of classes for students, ranging from kindergarten to post-secondary.
B.C. Transit is adjusting its routes and schedules daily and warns riders to expect daily trip cancellations for the foreseeable future.
Passengers are advised to check the website, , and use the app NextRide or contact the call centre at 250-382-6161.
Dyck said passengers are also asked to maintain social-distancing on buses and keep a respectful distance from the driver to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Efforts to reduce exposure have taken different forms for transit authorities across the country.
In Saint John, N.B., the chair of the city鈥檚 transit commission said the agency has followed the lead of its counterpart in Halifax and decided to stop collecting tolls.
鈥淲e鈥檙e doing this to mitigate the risk and to increase as much isolation as we can to ensure that our drivers are safe and that we can maintain service and limit exposure,鈥� Trish Ellsworth said.
The reason behind the fare suspension was more logistical than altruistic, she noted. Toll-collection booths are located beside the bus driver鈥檚 seat on Saint John buses, and passengers are being asked to board at the rear doors so they don鈥檛 have to come in close contact with either the driver or the people seated in the accessibility chairs.
鈥淎s a result, it has to be free because we cannot accommodate handling cash and checking transfer passes,鈥� Ellsworth said.
She said there will be fiscal implications to the move, but the agency was already preparing for a financial hit because fewer people are taking transit as they try to maintain social distancing.
The transit agency in Hamilton, Ontario is taking a similar approach, while Montreal鈥檚 is operating on something of an honour system.
The Soci茅t茅 de transport de Montreal said fares aren鈥檛 being validated on buses and people who don鈥檛 use mobility aids should board at the back doors.
The Edmonton Transit Service did a quick about-face on Tuesday after initially reducing services to a Saturday schedule following a 50 per cent drop in ridership.
鈥淸Tuesday鈥檚] commute was not what we envisioned,鈥� interim city manager Adam Laughlin said. 鈥淲e expected more Edmontonians would be staying home. We learned that some routes remain nearly as popular as before.鈥�
Photos of crowded buses circulated on social media as some would-be passengers reported drivers were passing them by. He said the city will be monitoring usage and making adjustments accordingly.
The Toronto Transit Commission is taking a different approach, saying the same number of fare inspectors will be on board, but their marching orders will changed. Instead of issuing fines to fare evaders, the inspectors will dole out education, the agency said.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l observe and they鈥檒l educate on proper tap etiquette if they see someone doesn鈥檛 tap [their card or ticket],鈥� said TTC spokesman Stuart Green.
As for the inspectors鈥� health, Green said they鈥檒l use their best judgment, in addition to policies the TTC has implemented.
For instance, the commission announced Wednesday that its staffers would be allowed to wear their own face masks going forward.
Previously, it said, they had been asked to remove masks because Toronto Public Health advises against their use by healthy people.
Green said the commission is also encouraging its inspectors to practise social distancing.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l only stay on vehicles if there are fewer than 50 people. Although I can tell you that travelling the system for the last few days, most of our vehicles are not as busy as they鈥檇 normally be.鈥�
He said axing fares isn鈥檛 an option the TTC could consider because they comprise a large part of its budget, which will already be hurt by floundering numbers due to social-distancing.
鈥淥ne thing we have to remind people is we are delivering 98 or 99 per cent of the service we would normally be delivering,鈥� Green said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to keep that going as long as we can because the TTC is an important part of getting people around the city, particularly in these times. It鈥檚 getting people to work 鈥� people who work in grocery stores or in medical facilities.鈥�
听
