BC Transit has announced that the organization will be handing out complimentary face coverings in the Cowichan Valley and in the Comox Valley prior to masks becoming mandatory for customers.
Both mask handouts, a joint initiative from BC Transit and the respective regional districts, will occur on Thursday, August 20.
The implementation of mandatory face coverings is slated to begin on Monday, August 24.
For riders seeking one of these masks in the Cowichan Valley, handouts will be offered at the Village Green Mall – outside the London Drugs – between 9-10 a.m. and between 3-4 p.m.
Face coverings will also be handed out by the following fare vendors in the Cowichan Valley, upon request from customers (while supplies last):
- 49th Parallel (Ladysmith)
- Cowichan Lake Community Services
- Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD)
- Galletto’s Market (Crofton)
- Town of Ladysmith
- Wal-Mart Lotto Centre
For customers using services in the Comox Valley, mask handouts will be available at the following times and locations on August 20:
- 4th Street Exchange – 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
- Driftwood Mall Exchange – 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
- Comox Mall Exchange – 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
When it was announced earlier in August that masks would become mandatory, BC Transit said that the implementation of a mandatory mask policy was “in response to feedback from our customers.”
The protocol aligns with the advice from Dr. Bonnie Henry and WorkSafeBC as well as drawing on best practices of the transit industry worldwide.
For anyone who plans on taking a BC Transit bus as of August 24 or beyond, face coverings will be required. Despite making them mandatory, BC Transit has opted for the policy to be an educational step without enforcement.
“Transit is an important service for many British Columbians. BC Transit‘s decision to make masks mandatory on their vehicles will help make transit safer for fellow passengers,” Dr. Bonnie Henry said in a statement back on August 6, when the news was first announced.
Graham Cox
