TransLink still planning free NYE transit, despite COVID-19 restrictions
A bus driver wears a face mask to curb the spread of COVID-19 as the digital sign on the front of the bus reminds passengers that masks are mandatory on public transit, in Vancouver, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Metro Vancouver's transit operator says it will still be offering free transit on New Year's Eve, even as BC Transit cancels a similar program for Greater Victoria due to surging COVID-19 cases.
"TransLink will still be moving ahead with offering free transit on New Year’s Eve to ensure people have a safe and accessible ride home considering restaurants and some venues are still operating on NYE," the company said in an email to CTV News on Thursday.
"We encourage everyone to follow the provincial health officer’s orders and remind customers masks are still mandatory when taking transit. We will continue to monitor the situation and make any necessary changes should the provincial orders require that."
TransLink's statement followed an announcement from BC Transit that cited public health orders as the reason for cancelling its program.
Buses in Greater Victoria will still be running as scheduled on New Year's Eve, but they won't be free after 6 p.m.
In Metro Vancouver, all modes of transit will be free from 5 p.m. on Dec. 31 until 5 a.m. on Jan. 1. Fare gates on SkyTrain and SeaBus will remain open between those hours, and TransLink advises customers not to tap their Compass Cards or any other payment methods during that time frame.
"Customers who begin trips prior to 5 p.m. should tap out, as per normal tapping procedures, to ensure they’re charged the correct fare," TransLink said in a news release last week.
This year marks the return of free New Year's Eve transit in Metro Vancouver. In 2020, TransLink cancelled the program due to COVID-19 restrictions, saying it would have been "inconsistent with provincial public health orders" to do so.
On Thursday, B.C. recorded more than 2,000 new cases of the coronavirus in a single day for the first time since the pandemic began, and the rolling seven-day average for new cases hit an all-time high.
The highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been blamed for the latest surge in infections.
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