About 150 Halifax Transit workers are off work because of COVID-19 infections, exposures, or other injuries and illnesses.
There are only about 750 operational workers for the city’s busses and ferries. That means 20 per cent are not able to work.
Ken Wilson, the President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 508, which represents the city’s transit workers, says 15 union members tested positive Thursday.
“With the COVID exposures and the COVID positives, on top of it, it’s got to a situation where we’re dropping service every day.”
Wilson says there aren’t enough people to keep up with normal operations.
He says transit management and the city’s elected officials are to blame, they’ve failed to enforce mask mandates on city transit since the start of the pandemic.
“It’s nothing to see 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 passengers a day without a mask on, through the course of an eight-hour shift.”
Wilson says workers have been told they can call supervisors to deal with riders who refuse to wear a mask, but says supervisors often won’t come.
He says distancing is another major issue. Six feet of separation isn’t required on busses or ferries.
Halifax continues to cancel runs on bus routes across the city. A full list of cancellations can be found here.
