Some concern has been raised with transit users not practicing physical distancing.

Kamloops Mayor Ken Christian says public transit is essential service and people have every right to use the service. “But they have to do that within the compliance of the Provincial Health Officer’s orders and we expect social distancing on our bus fleet and we are also doing enhanced cleaning of our bus fleet.”

Christian says that is the operator that would be looking after that, the city doesn’t monitor the buses that are in operation.

Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry says she has received anecdotal reports of challenges particularly on more heavily used routes. “So we still have the same precautions in place in that people shouldn’t be sitting next to each other, but I think the challenge is that sometimes they’re a unit. So if I’m going to work with my household member than we maybe sitting next to each other. So it may be hard to know.”

“The other thing of course that we’re thinking about and that is an option for those types of situations as well, when for short periods of time you can’t maintain that distancing is to wear a cloth face covering.”

Christian adds that the city is taking extra steps to sanitize buses.

BC Transit put out a statement. It says that it is continuing to provide services customers can rely on as it recognizes people still need to get to work, or other activities such as grocery shopping. BC Transit places the safety of riders, staff, and communities as its top priority. It is taking the advice to identify and implement new measures to enhance safety throughout the BC Transit system.

It has also implemented enhanced measures in response to COVID-19.