Bus driver layoffs announced during City of Winnipeg coronavirus update
The City of Winnipeg announced services changes coming to Winnipeg Transit — and temporary layoffs for hundreds of drivers — at an update on its ongoing response to COVID-19 Wednesday.
Mayor Brian Bowman was joined by city officials — including Winnipeg Transit director Greg Ewankiw — at a noon press conference from city hall.
In a release sent before the press conference the city said Winnipeg Transit has seen a 72 per cent drop in ridership as a result of COVID-19, resulting in roughly $6 million in lost revenue every month.
To offset those loses the city says it will be reducing transit services across the city in a phased approach over the next two weeks.
Starting immediately the city says Winnipeg Transit will longer offer overtime to bus drivers, a move that could impact daily service as transit has been using overtime to make sure there hasn’t been disruptions to service in the wake of the pandemic.
Then, starting Monday May 4, Winnipeg Transit’s weekday schedule will drop to what the city is calling an “enhanced Saturday schedule.”
The new schedule will include all bus routes that run on Saturdays, plus additional bus routes that do not normally run on weekends, such as express buses, and buses serving industrial parks, the city says.
The bus schedule for Saturdays and Sundays will not change.
Transit says service around health care facilities will not be affected, and all city hospitals will be served by transit seven days a week.
Transit also says any hospital normally served by express routes on weekdays will have that additional service added to it over and above what would regularly be provided on a Saturday.
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These additional buses will run with less frequency than regular weekday service though, the city noted.
A full-schedule of the adjusted service can be found on Winnipeg Transit website starting Thursday.
Layoffs coming for drivers
The changes mean 221 fewer buses will be required on the roads, and the city says 229 permanent drivers and 24 non-permanent drivers will be temporarily laid off as of May 3.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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