HSR is making face masks mandatory on all city buses

If you’re planning to ride Hamilton’s public transit in the next few weeks, make sure you have a face mask on you: the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) is set to begin enforcing the wearing of non-medical masks for all riders on city buses.

Like many other services, the HSR has had to make major adjustments to its public transit amid the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. With public transit as an essential service that many in the city still actively rely on, the HSR has pivoted numerous aspects of its operations in the interest of public health and safety.

#HSRAlert: Starting June 22, 2020 customers will be required to wear a non-medical mask while riding the bus, taking DARTS and using Trans-Cab. This extra step can help reduce the spread of #COVID19 & help protect others in spaces where physical distancing can be hard to maintain pic.twitter.com/156m3DcaD0

— Hamilton Street Railway (@hsr) June 9, 2020

So far, the transit service has switched over to reduced daily service schedules, started offering free rides to those in the city who still require public transit to get around for essential reasons, and severely restricting the number of riders on board a city bus at one time to encourage physical distancing.

Alongside those restrictions, the HSR has also been encouraging – but not requiring – the use of non-medical masks for riders on the bus.

However, with evolving data around face coverings that shows their effectiveness in reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19, the HSR will now be actively enforcing the use of non-medical masks on city buses, DARTS vehicles, and Trans-Cab services. The enforcement officially begins on June 22nd.

“This extra step can help protect others in spaces where physical distancing can be hard to maintain,” said the HSR in a statement.

According to the public transit service, those who cannot wear a face covering for medical reasons will be exempt from wearing one. Other than that, transit riders will be expected to bring one along to wear for their commute.

To learn more about how the HSR is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, check out the City of Hamilton website.

Lead image courtesy of @cityofhamilton

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