If you're planning on taking public transit in Mississauga in the near future, make sure you have your own protective face mask, as the City has announced they will soon become mandatory.
As parts of the province begin entering into Stage 2 of reopening the economy and more residents begin to start taking public transit again, the City announced that starting July 2, "non-medical masks will be mandatory when travelling on MiWay to help keep customers and operators safe during the COVID-19 pandemic."
READ: How to Make Your Own Non-Medical Face Mask at Home
However, children under the age of two and people with disabilities or other medical conditions that prevent them from wearing any mask will not be required to wear one.
“To help keep our riders and drivers safe and following the strong recommendation of Peel Public Health and the Governments of Ontario and Canada, we will be mandating transit riders to wear masks while riding MiWay,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie.
"Additional safety measures, including the installation of plexiglass barriers, will enable us to resume fare collection and front door boarding next month. These measures will help our City recover much-needed revenue as a result of this crisis while ensuring the safety of riders. We are taking a thoughtful and phased approach to recovery that prioritizes health and safety, and reduces the risk of a second wave.”
Mississauga is joining Ottawa, Brampton, and Hamilton in making face masks mandatory on public transit.
Here in Toronto, face masks aren't mandatory, but the TTC has said it “strongly” recommends that all riders should wear non-medical face coverings while onboard.
The City of Mississauga has also announced a number of other changes that will begin on Thursday, July 2, including that fare collection and front door boarding will resume and the capacity on all buses will increase to normal levels.
Passengers are to enter through the front door and exit through the back door unless the use of the ramp is required.
Until July 1, customers will continue to board from the rear door and access to the driver area will be restricted. Passengers are asked to respect the barrier in place to exercise safe physical distancing between the operator and passengers.
