Commuters can now hop on a BC Transit bus for free across the province amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The transit company announced Friday that all riders will not have to pay a fare and will now enter exclusively through the rear door for the next 30 days.
“We are implementing rear door boarding, where available, across the province to enhance social distancing for drivers and passengers,” said BC Transit in a statement.
Passengers can still enter through the front door if they need to use the ramp or other accessibility features on the bus.
“These changes are being made to protect the health and safety of our operators and customers by creating the conditions for better social distancing.”
#BritishColumbia We are now implementing rear door boarding across the province to enhance #socialdistancing for drivers and passengers. Fares will not be collected for 30 days. We are working to implement these changes as quickly as possible.
#TransportationBC #Transit pic.twitter.com/23YzDwo7Wd— BC Transit (@BCTransit) March 20, 2020
BC Transit announced free fair across Greater Victoria on Thursday, but now it is province-wide.
BC Transit, the Province of BC, local government partners and local transit staff are working together to ensure there is public transportation for customers that need to get to work, including health care facilities, and for those going out for groceries or other needs.
BC Transit says there may be slight delays in implementing this new system.
“We are working to implement these changes in communities as quickly as possible, and we would ask customers to be patient with us during this time,” said the bus company.
As the economic health climate of B.C. and Canada continue to change, BC Transit assures riders it is working hard to maintain services, while still following the guidelines set out by health authorities.
It also says to expect some delays and daily trip cancellations as ridership is down and there are limited drivers available.
For the latest updates including trip cancellations, BC Transit encourages you to visit BCTransit.com or through customer call centres.
Rebecca Lawrence
