The suspension of Transit Windsor service due to COVID-19 is being extended until at least May 1.
When considering the local circumstances, observations from other transit operators across the province and the significant public health risks to both riders and drivers, Transit Windsor leadership recommended this continued suspension.
With the original order set to expire on April 12, Transit Windsor was asked to evaluate the prospect of a return to service in the near term and prepared a memo to inform the Mayor’s decision.
“This isn’t a decision that anyone wants to make,” says Mayor Drew Dilkens. “This is a decision we had to take to help flatten the pandemic’s curve in our community and save lives in the City of Windsor.”
Executive Director of Transit Windsor Pat Delmore says one of the reasons he agrees with the extension is because he sees the struggles of his colleagues around the industry.
"With providing enough buses on the street, providing the appropriate PPE for their employees, be it sanitizer, wipes, gloves, and now masks, the challenges that they're having with keeping social distancing on buses and trying to keep those buses clean and sanitized," says Delmore
The City Council has previously approved a one-time payment for individuals who purchased a pass between February 19, 2020 and March 19, 2020 or held a monthly pass valid for the period between February 19, 2020 and March 19, 2020.
Full details on how to apply and more can be found on the Transit Windsor website.
— With files from AM800's Rob Hindi