VANCOUVER -- Masks have been required on public transit for three months, but passengers are now also required to wear them while waiting for the bus.
In a news release Friday, TransLink said a ministerial order on mask use means they're required in any indoor or sheltered locations.
This includes spots where passengers are boarding or waiting for transit vehicles, such as platforms, bus stops, bus loops and bus exchanges.
Additionally, TransLink said, face shields will no longer be considered a substitute for a non-medical mask or other face covering.
Metro Vancouver Transit Police will be enforcing the mask order, and officers can issue fines of $230 to those who aren't co-operating.
TransLink was previously giving out exemption cards for those who can't wear a face covering, but said these cards will no longer be given out. A list of exemptions can be found online.
"Transit police will conduct standard inquiries with any customer not wearing an appropriate mask or face covering," TransLink said in a news release.
The transit provider estimated compliance at about 95 per cent in the months since masks have been mandatory.
Customers who see someone without a mask are asked not to "attempt to enforce" the orders themselves.
