Transport Canberra has this week ramped up its on-vehicle and interchange cleaning regime, with a program of twice daily bus and light rail cleaning, and daily cleaning of stations, as the ACT Government responds to COVID-19.
"Public transport is an essential service for the Canberra community, and we are working hard to ensure these services continue to be provided by Transport Canberra and Canberra Metro, while minimising risk for our customers and drivers," Minister for Transport Chris Steel said.
"From this week, Transport Canberra is implementing an increased cleaning regime on our buses and light rail. Teams are stepping up the cleaning of hard surfaces such as seats across bus stations and light rail interchanges.
"The ACT Government has engaged Robson Environmental to undertake a study to make any further recommendations on Transport Canberra's cleaning practices.
"We are reminding our customers and our drivers to practice good hygiene on and around public transport and we are asking Canberrans to avoid using public transport if they feel unwell.
"People can help us reduce the need to handle cash by using MyWay cards, and tickets can be purchased from ticket vending machines located at major bus stations and all light rail stops. Purchasing a MyWay card is also a cheaper option."
Minister Steel said that the ACT and other jurisdictions had started to see a significant drop in the number of people using public transport in recent weeks. However, customers are still being asked to take measures to help reduce crowding.
"To prevent crowding, we are asking people to consider adjusting their travel times by travelling earlier or later than their normal commute. This will mean less people on our buses and light rail at any one time.
"As of today, Transport Canberra bus drivers are being advised to allow passengers to enter and exit buses via the rear door to reduce interactions between other passengers and drivers," Minister Steel said.
