TransLink announced front-door boarding and fare collection will resume June 1 on all buses.
Temporary plexiglass extension barriers are being added to conventional buses currently equipped with traditional operator barriers. Vinyl barriers will be installed on the remainder of the fleet.
"We’ve managed to find an innovative solution which ensures the safety of our bus operators, while also allowing for safe fare collection," said TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond. "We’ve already started to procure materials and install the barriers on our fleet, with an expectation that this process will be complete by June."
Given current ridership levels, it is estimated that approximately C$2 million (US$1.424 million) per month will be collected by resuming fare collection on the bus system. TransLink is losing around C$75 million (US$53.400 million) each month due to several factors, including significant reductions in ridership and fuel tax revenue.
Timing for service reductions
TransLink is also advising customers that previously announced bus route suspensions and frequency reductions will come into effect on May 18. This will see 41 routes suspended, in addition to the 18 routes which were suspended in April, and six suspended in early May. Frequency will be reduced on most remaining bus routes.
