THUNDER BAY – A proposal to reduce city bus service has some drivers concerned, saying the move could increase the risk of spreading COVID-19.
A proposal from city administration would see transit operate on an amended Sunday/holiday schedule seven days a week. That would see many buses operate every 45 minutes rather than every half hour, with service ending earlier in the evening.
Transit manager Brad Loroff said in a report ridership has declined by 55 per cent from normal levels. He added the move would “allow Administration the flexibility to better react to occasional crowding issues.”
It would also “require a reduced staff complement.” The report doesn’t detail how significant those reductions would be, but two transit drivers who spoke anonymously with Tbnewswatch on Saturday expected significant layoffs.
The drivers said they’re worried the change to less frequent service will mean more crowded buses, exacerbating their existing concerns over both their own safety and that of the public.
The drivers said they don’t feel adequately protected by the precautions taken by the city so far. Those include rear-door boarding, eliminating fares and transfers, and blocking off the front portion of the bus, as well as directing the public to use transit only for essential travel.
One measure that would reassure the drivers is the installation of protective shields, they said. It’s a protective measure the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), which represents the drivers, has sought for years in Thunder Bay due to concerns over physical violence.
One driver said routes are still sometimes busy enough that proper social distancing is either not being followed, or not possible.
Riders who spoke with Tbnewswatch were split on the issue. Most said the changes would affect them, but were largely understanding of any need to reduce services in the midst of the pandemic.
“I can understand why they would,” one young person said, adding they used transit to visit close family.
Others who are still using transit for things like getting to work, medical appointments, or to visit family said the reduced service would make their lives more difficult.
An older woman who relied on bus service to access medical appointments said while she sympathized with the difficult decisions the city is facing, she’s opposed to the change, which would likely make her medical trips significantly longer.
“Actually, I think it’s a good idea to do that,” said another woman. “It’s for everyone’s safety, right?”
She said she relied on transit to pick up groceries, but a reduction wouldn’t impact her ability to do so.
