Free transit extended, more safety measures to be added

Masks will be mandatory on buses when front door boarding resumes 

(Barrie, ON) Barrie Transit is extending free service until the new protective operator shields have been installed on all buses which is scheduled to be completed by the middle of July. Once the protective shields have been installed, the City will communicate the return to paid services date. At that time, all riders over 2 years old will be required to wear non-medical face masks or face coverings.

The current policy of limiting buses to 15 passengers has resulted in some passengers being turned away. By requiring all passengers to wear a mask, more riders can be safely accommodated.

To prepare for fare sales, the Downtown Bus Terminal will reopen on July 6. The amount of people allowed in the terminal at the same time will be controlled to ensure customers can maintain a 2 metre physical distancing from each other.

As soon as paid transit services resume, the cost of a monthly transit pass will be pro-rated based on the number of days remaining in the month. To limit the transmission of COVID-19, the use of multi-ride cards will be suspended. The use of a ride card requires the operator and passenger to transfer and touch a paper fare media product. In the meantime, staff are investigating alternative options to the ride cards. Riders will still be able to pay cash fares at the farebox on the vehicles and purchase monthly passes from the terminal.

VisitMyRideBarrie.ca before departing on your trip to track your bus. Barrie Transit may be experiencing intermittent service issues on some routes. For more information, visitbarrie.ca/transit. For the latest updates to City services, visitwww.barrie.ca/Services.

Please avoid all unnecessary travel and do not use public transit if you are sick.  

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