Fare collection and front-door boarding resume March 15 for SMART and Detroit's DDOT buses.
The change comes after nearly a year in which both transit agencies suspended fare collection to limit exposure between drivers and passengers during the pandemic. Side door entry was required to limit exposure for drivers.
Riders in two weeks will see changes, including barriers around drivers, hand sanitizing dispensers and visual social distancing cues. DDOT operators were among the first front-line essential workers in Detroit to get Covid vaccines.
Riders still must wear a mask covering their mouth and nose on buses, at bus stops and in transporation buildings.
“Safety for both rider and driver is and always has been our top priority,” C. Mikel Oglesby, DDOT’s executive director of transit said in a statement. “I’ve said since the beginning of the pandemic that I would not collect fares until it is safe to do so. With the current measures in place, we have made our buses as safe as possible for everyone on board.”
SMART and DDOT will set maximum occupancy of 20 passengers for standard buses and 26 passengers on an extended accordion-style bus.
Anyone with questions can call DDOT at (313) 933-1300 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, and SMART at (866) 962-5515 from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays or 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
