Masks mandatory when travelling on Oakville Transit and fare collection resumes starting July 2, 2020

Following the strong recommendation of Halton Public Health and the Governments of Ontario and Canada, effective July 2, 2020, non-medical masks or face coverings will be mandatory when travelling on Oakville Transit to help keep customers and operators safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Children under the age of two, people with disabilities or other medical conditions that prevent them from wearing any mask will not be required to wear one. It’s important to remember, not all disabilities or medical conditions are visible. Fare collection and front door boarding for all customers will also resume on July 2, 2020.

In addition, in an effort to protect passengers and drivers from COVID-19, Oakville Transit is installing protective driver shields around the bus operator cab on all conventional buses so customers can board and pay fares at the front.

“As we move forward in our economic recovery, we want to safely move people around town. Oakville Transit’s extensive safety measures will help ensure public transit is a safe option for everyone while helping our town recover much-needed revenue with front door boarding,” said Mayor Rob Burton.

In advance of the resumption of fare collection, PRESTO customers are strongly encouraged to load their cards online and can visit the PRESTO website to learn about how, and where to go, to load a PRESTO card.

Alternatively, the town will reopen the ServiceOakville counter at Town Hall starting July 2, 2020, to provide customers with the opportunity to purchase or load a PRESTO card, as well a buy SPLIT passes. Customers are asked to please consider using debit or credit cards to encourage contactless payment. The counter will be open Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., until further notice with appropriate health protocols and physical distancing measures in place.

With the introduction of mandatory use of non-medical masks or face coverings by passengers all conventional buses will operate at 50 per cent seated capacity to continue to encourage physical distancing. Oakville Transit supports the physical distancing efforts recommended by public health officials but realizes it’s not always possible on public transit.

“The health and safety of our customers and transit operators is our top priority,” said Barry Cole, director, Oakville Transit. “While we have put several measures in place to ensure a safer commute when travelling on Oakville Transit, we want to remind our customers to not use transit if you are not well, continue practising physical distancing when and where possible, limit transit use to essential travel only and wear your face covering. Together, we can stop the spread of COVID-19.”

Installing driver shields and mandating the wearing of non-medical masks are just two new steps the town has taken to help protect passengers and staff. To encourage appropriate physical distancing, transit passengers will continue to see some seats blocked off in an effort to limit the number of passengers per bus. Other safety measures also in place include implementing an enhanced cleaning and disinfecting schedule on all Oakville transit buses and vehicles.

For more information, visit the Oakville Transit website. You can also follow Oakville Transit on Twitter @oakvilletransit for regular service updates. Questions may be directed to transit@oakville.ca or 905-815-2020.

For more information regarding non-medical masks, including how to properly wear, fit, remove, and clean your non-medical mask, visit the Halton Public Health website and the Government of Ontario website.

The Town of Oakville has a comprehensive recovery process in place that aligns with the Province’s gradual phased-in approach. Learn more about the town’s COVID-19 Recovery Program Framework. For more information on the town’s efforts to support the community in response to COVID-19, visit the COVID-19 page or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.