High Compliance Rate For Masks On Transit

Saint John Transit officials say most people are following the rules when it comes to wearing masks on buses.

Last week, the transit commission increased ridership on buses, with the requirement for riders to wear a mask.

The city says as of Tuesday, spot checks showed mask use was close to 85 per cent or higher.

“We certainly understand that some people are unable to wear a mask, and if those are the circumstances, we won’t be requiring that they do,” said Marc Dionne, general manager of Saint John Transit, in a statement.

The requirement to wear a mask does not include children under two and people who have a disability or medical condition that prevents them from wearing one.

Dionne said if those who are able to wear masks keep doing so, they may be able to increase service levels even more.

“If we don’t see good compliance, we may move in the opposite direction and have no choice but to reduce our capacity numbers back to nine per bus,” he said.

The mask requirement of Saint John Transit is similar to that of other major transit services within New Brunswick, and in other parts of the country, said the city.

Dionne said they will continue to focus on educating the public to see if they can further increase mask use in the coming weeks.