Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on March 26.
Rider Transit plans to suspend fare collections on all routes effective at 5:30 p.m. March 26. This is the latest measure undertaken by the Cities of Concord and Kannapolis, which jointly operate Rider, to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The suspension of passenger fares is coupled with requiring passengers to enter and exit buses via the rear door whenever possible. These measures keep passengers and operators as safe and healthy as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, while providing transit for critical needs. Passengers with mobility devices such as wheelchairs and scooters, who need the entry ramp to be lowered in order to board safely, will still be able to use the front door to enter and exit as needed.
Transit agencies across the United States and around the world are switching to free public transit and rear door entry to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between drivers and passengers as recommended by health officials.
"This will help keep our operators healthy and maintain our services," said Transit Director L.J. Weslowski. "Our goal is to reduce the possibility of our employees and passengers of getting sick, while helping stop the spread of the COVID-19 as soon as possible."
Coupled with the social distancing and disinfection measures already in use on vehicles and at the Rider Transit Center, the goal is to allow Rider Transit to keep an essential transportation option available to the community during these challenging times, to allow people to access critical services for food, medicine, and to be able to get to work as needed. Rider routes are operating on a normal schedule at this time.
Service on all Rider Transit routes, including the CCX to Charlotte, remains available. Daily updates at ckrider.com and facebook.com/ridertransit confirm this to passengers or alert them to changes.
Original source can be found here.
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