Transit Windsor delays fare collection

Transit Windsor is delaying fare collection and front door boarding on buses for a week because it says it needs more time to install protective barriers for drivers. The public transit authority said in a service update that fare collection and front door boarding will resume on October 26. It had originally planned for October 19. It has not been collecting fares and has required passengers to both board and depart buses by the rear door for seven months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a service update, Transit Windsor said the delay was due to "circumstances beyond our control." "We knew it was going to be a very aggressive installation of safety barriers on our buses," said Transit Windsor executive director Pat Delmore. "Unfortunately by late last week we were just not comfortable with the position we were at with the number of barriers installed, and we decided to delay by one more week." Delmore said the different models of buses meant that each needed a different style of barrier, which contributed to the delay. The manufacturer has made six different types of barriers. Now, he says, it's just a matter of getting them all installed. "This (delay) was done in order to ensure we can continue to provide the safest level of transit service available to the community," Delmore said. "We need to keep our drivers safe, we need to keep our passengers safe, and this extra week will give us the opportunity to do that." "It was really not a difficult decision to make in order to delay it by one week for that reason." Delmore said he did not know how much the delay would cost in lost fare collection. Transit Windsor is encouraging riders to re-load their Smart Cards at either the Windsor International Transit Terminal or Transit Centre before fare collection resumes.