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TransLink launches limited edition Dr. Bonnie Henry Compass cards for fall

Ridership remains at 43 per cent of pre-pandemic levels
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A limited edition Dr. Bonnie Henry Compass card is now available from TransLink. (TransLink)

Metro Vancouver’s transit agency is launching a new fall safety campaign and it comes with a pocket reminder to keep transit COVID-19 free.

TransLink is coming out with a Dr. Bonnie Henry Compass card featuring the famous “Be kind, be calm, be safe” logo popularized by the provincial health officer.

The card and safety campaign come as transit in Metro Vancouver has returned to just 43 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. TransLink said that’s much lower than traffic, which is at 93 per cent of pre-COVID levels on the Golden Ears, Knight Street,and Pattullo bridges.

“Since the restart of British Columbia’s economy in June, our regular riders have gradually been returning to transit,” said CEO Kevin Desmond. “We want to continue to build ridership over coming months.”

READ MORE: B.C. reports 317 new COVID-19 cases, 6 deaths over the weekend

As B.C. heads into fall, riders will see new signage at TransLink stations, vehicles and online to remind passengers of improved sanitization and cleaning procedures.

Masks will remain mandatory on TransLink, as they have been since the last week of August.

“By wearing a mask on transit, you are looking out for each other and demonstrating to those around you that you care about their health too,” said Henry in a release.

Translink is asking passengers to stay away if they are sick or have any symptoms, to wear a mask on transit and to travel outside of peak times when possible.

Safety measures being installed by TransLink include:

  • Mandatory masks on transit vehicles.
  • Increased cleaning and sanitizing.
  • Deploying cleaning “pit crews” to disinfect SkyTrain cars at high traffic stations.
  • Increasing bus and SeaBus disinfecting sprays to twice per week in addition to daily cleaning schedules.
  • Daily cleaning and disinfecting schedules on SkyTrain and West Coast Express cars, as well as HandyDART vehicles.
  • Limiting fare gate access at busy stations to help manage the number of customers on SkyTrain.
  • Limiting the capacity on buses to approximately two thirds full.
  • Installing two-metre spaced decals at some bus stops and station entranceways to help guide customers.
  • Expanding the availability of hand sanitizer dispensers, including on the entire RapidBus fleet, at key exchanges, and at more SkyTrain stations.
  • Monitoring passenger loads in order to deploy additional service at times and on routes where physical distancing is more difficult.


@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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