HSR buses are crowded with ‘bored’ joy riders
- Craig Clark
- 25 Mar 2020
Some Hamilton residents continue to ignore the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak as they are taking advantage of the free HSR transit service to joy ride around the city.
According to a report by the CBC, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 107 Eric Tuck said one of his drivers was recently confronted by a woman looking for casual conversation.
With a rapidly changing COVID-19 situation, the HSR is undergoing proactive measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Visit our website to view our most updated customer FAQ. #HamOnt https://t.co/6CSiWAGMEX
— Hamilton Street Railway (@hsr) March 25, 2020
The woman allegedly told the driver that she was required to go for testing. Immediately stopping the bus, the driver told the woman to get off, but she refused until he started to get on the radio.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger has also spoken out about residents joyriding on buses and taking tours around the city.
He repeated his message about transit on Tuesday pleading with residents to stop using the buses except for essential travel. Additionally, if you have symptoms of the virus, find another way to travel.
“Please don’t use the bus,” said Eisenberger. “You will potentially be contaminating and spreading that virus to many, many other people.”
Union president Tuck said that they have been dealing with a capacity issue since announcing free transit in Hamilton. With all the stores closed, those who would usually hang out at the mall are just riding around.
#HSRAlert: Until at least April 5, HSR customers are being asked to board from the rear doors only & to keep a fair distance from operators & customers. Signs have been placed on the bus along the new yellow line. As a result, HSR will not be collecting fares until further notice pic.twitter.com/4cFrbEkzF7
— Hamilton Street Railway (@hsr) March 24, 2020
Seniors, who are some of the most at risk to the virus, have also been touring the city in the back of a bus. An 80-year-old woman in a long term care facility was the first COVID-19 related death in the city.
Homeless people looking for a place to sit down are also among the individuals making use of the free ride service, while others are using it to commute to work or home.
Buses are still on the road to help people who don’t have a vehicle get food or visit food banks, said Tuck. There are also a lot of health care providers, nurses, and other essential service workers who rely on HSR to get to hospitals, nursing homes, and to offer home support.
Lead image courtesy of @hsr
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