Christopher Morris wants masks to be mandated, not a choice, on Barrie Transit buses.
The Barrie man said he feels unsafe when other bus riders are unmasked.
“Every time I get on a bus there is at least one rider without a mask,” he said. “I am a senior with a compromised immune system and am very concerned.
“Why cannot this mandate be enforced? Must passengers call 911?”
The answer is that during the pandemic, masks are required on Barrie Transit buses — but it’s not a mandate, or an order.
Brent Forsyth, Barrie’s director of transit, says masks or face coverings are required while riding Barrie Transit, or while inside the downtown Bus Terminal, until June 11, for both staff and riders.
Forsyth says bus drivers remind passengers not wearing masks to don a mask when they enter the bus. Additionally, he says the city provides individually wrapped masks on each bus and in the terminal, for anyone who forgets to bring their own mask.
There are some riders and visitors who may be exempt from wearing a mask or face covering, including those with underlying medical conditions, those requiring assistance to place or remove a mask and those requiring accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Forsyth says not all medical or other conditions are visible. City Bus Terminal security and transit supervisor teams monitor compliance and respond to issues as they arise on a case-by-case basis, he said.
“The operators will remind passengers to wear a mask, but will not remove a passenger,” Forsyth said. “If a situation escalates that warrants a passenger to be removed, the bus operator will contact their dispatch and, depending on the situation and location, either a transit supervisor, city security or, if needed, Barrie Police Service will be contacted to handle the situation.
“The city doesn’t have specific data on these incidents. However, there have been very few incidents where passengers have been removed from the bus.”
Morris contacted Service Barrie with his concerns about masks not being worn on Barrie Transit buses, was given a case number and referred to the page on the city website (barrie.ca).
The message to Morris was “Masks or face coverings are required while riding Barrie Transit or inside the Transit Terminal until June 11, 2022.”
Health Canada says masks are one of the most effective individual public health measures that can be used to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19.
Along with other public health measures, Health Canada says a well-constructed, well-fitting and properly worn mask can help prevent people from getting COVID-19 and spreading it to others.
