Red Deer Transit will resume front-door boarding and front-of-bus fare collection on Thursday.
In April, as part of the city’s response to COVID-19, passengers were only permitted to enter and exit the bus through the rear doors.
With this change, 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 city notes.
“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,” said transit manager George Penny in a statement.
Safety protocols for staff include drivers wearing masks or face shields as required. Additional cleaning and disinfecting will take place 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 wear masks when using public transit.
“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.”