As an essential service attempting to safely accommodate passengers and workers alike, the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) has made significant changes to its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic; including limiting ridership.
As of last Friday, April 3rd, the HSR put restrictions on number of passengers able to ride at one time, with a maximum of 10 people allowed on a standard 40 ft bus and a maximum of 15 people allowed on the roomier 60 ft articulated buses.
#HSRAlert: To ensure physical distancing, HSR is restricting customer loads to 10 people on a 40 ft bus; and 15 people on a 60 ft articulated bus. Signs will be posted to identify which seats are not available for use. #HamOnt pic.twitter.com/gwQFcXFmbU
— Hamilton Street Railway (@hsr) April 5, 2020
If a bus has reached its maximum capacity, it will bypass stops until more people can be accommodated. Hamiltonians should be prepared to wait for multiple scheduled buses to pass before getting to board.
These new restrictions are added to a list of other adjustments the HSR has made amid COVID-19, including eliminating bus fare temporarily as well as only allowing entry and exits through the rear doors.
Passengers using wheelchairs, walkers, and scooters who need to use the retractable ramp to access the bus will be required to bring a companion who can operate the ramp under the instruction of the HSR operator.
The temporary changes to service are in the interest of limiting physical contact between HSR passengers and its operators, so those who still make use of public transit for essential needs can do so in a safer environment while maintaining proper distance from others.
HSR still strongly stresses that Hamiltonians should only use public transit if it is for essential needs, such as commutes to work if applicable, trips to buy groceries and household needs, or travelling to medical appointments.
Lead image courtesy of @hsr
There are no comments
Add comment