(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By rdnewsNOW staff

RED DEER TRANSIT

Front-door boarding, front-of-bus fare collection resumes Thursday

Jun 29, 2020 | 3:19 PM

Red Deer Transit will resume front-door boarding and front-of-bus fare collection on Thursday, July 2.

Officials say the move is being made in line with the commencement of the second phase of the provincial government’s from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April, as a part of The City’s response to COVID-19, conventional transit buses changed to only allow entering and exiting buses through rear doors.

With the change back to front door service, Red Deer transit users who normally require the use of hydraulic loading ramps can resume using conventional transit as opposed to booking Action Bus trips.

“The health and safety of all passengers and staff is, and remains, our first priority,” said Transit Manager George Penny. “We have been able to put other safety protocols into place over the last several weeks that allows us to resume more regular operations on our buses.”

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Safety protocols for staff include drivers wearing masks and/or face shields as required, and adding additional cleaning and disinfecting on buses and at terminals and shelters throughout the day. Safety measures already in place include blocking off every other seat to ensure physical distancing and a two-passenger maximum on Action Bus trips. Alberta Health Services also recommends riders to wear masks when using public transit if possible.

“Since moving to rear-boarding, Transit has been collecting transit fares using the honour system and by electronic means,” says Penny. “Now that we are resuming front bus entry, we will be collecting fares the way we always have, so we encourage riders to have their transit fares ready when riding.”

Front bus entry and fare collection for both conventional and Action Bus services will officially resume on Thursday, July 2. “We want to thank Transit riders for their patience during this time, and look forward to seeing them at the front of our buses,” added Penny.

Transit Customer Service will remain open 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and will close from 12 until1 p.m. Social distancing protocols are in place, please be prepared for possible wait times. As an alternative, existing transit passes can be reloaded at Bishop’s Rexall pharmacy and Petro Canada South.

Other Transit changes include adding a priority booking system for Action Bus. Starting July 6, clients will have the ability to book their medical, work, and educational trips up to seven days ahead; all other trips will be able to be booked up to three days ahead. The seven-day priority booking will assist in booking essential trips before non-essential type trips are booked in. The three-day booking window for non-essential trips will allow for more flexibility in booking short notice trips.

(The City of Red Deer)