The MBTA announced today that starting Saturday, most bus passengers will have to board through the rear exit - with a similar policy on Green Line trolleys at street-level stops - to try to keep drivers and passengers at least six feet apart while keeping buses and trains moving for essential hospital workers and first responders going to and from work.
Passengers with disabilities will still be allowed to board through the front entrances, the T says.
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Now just dump fares
By cybah
Fri, 03/20/2020 - 9:55pm
Now just dump fares for this.. just let people ride for free.
Half way there
By BostonDog
Sat, 03/21/2020 - 8:04am
Busses and above ground Trolley service is now free due to this decision. (Per the Globe, at least.) They aren't expecting riders to walk to the front and pay.
Was there a dress rehearsal before this roll-out?
By Friartuck
Fri, 03/20/2020 - 9:59pm
Or is "try to keep" intended to be ever-elusive?
Enter at rear door, walk to front to swipe card and/or add $$ to card to swipe, then reverse course against the other 30 passengers waiting to swipe to find a seat...
Meanwhile in St John's County FL
By Friartuck
Sat, 03/21/2020 - 7:29am
The Sunshine Bus Company is implementing a Social Distancing Policy restricting the number of occupants to 10 per vehicle, including the driver, and requiring patrons to maintain a six-foot distance from other passengers.
To sustain transportation services during this time, our drivers have been instructed to call dispatch when nine passengers have boarded their vehicle to ensure that another vehicle will be dispatched for additional passengers.
Charlie, can you hear me?
Since the fare boxes are....
By Lee
Fri, 03/20/2020 - 9:59pm
.... closer than 6 feet from the drivers, how are passengers supposed to pay?
You're not
By BostonDog
Sat, 03/21/2020 - 6:44am
According to the globe, they are not asking riders to pay and say the trips are free. (Still pay when using a turnstile.) This applies to the Mattapan trolley too.
Yeah, they didn't charge me
By HCL
Sat, 03/21/2020 - 7:22am
Yeah, they didn't charge me on the SL3 outbound (inbound is always free). The fare boxes weren't even turned on.
SL3 inbound is always free?
By Ron Newman
Sun, 03/22/2020 - 12:47am
Was that from every stop? When did that happen?
SL3 is fare-free inbound from Chelsea
By GoSoxGo
Sun, 03/22/2020 - 3:14pm
Not sure if that includes the stop at Airport. I believe this started last summer and is part of the mitigation for the work on the Tobin and Washington St. bridges.
Maybe
By anon
Sat, 03/21/2020 - 6:48pm
I was on the 80 bus today and though the driver was only opening the rear door, he was also making everyone (which was not many) walk up to the front to pay. Maybe there's still some confusion on the new instructions.
Fair to assume...
By anon
Fri, 03/20/2020 - 11:09pm
That they can't collect fares on buses/GL. The farebox is closer to the driver than a passenger simply entering through the front door.
NYC, too:
By Rob
Sat, 03/21/2020 - 12:16am
NYC, too:
https://nypost.com/2020/03/20/nyc-buses-going-back...
How does this work?
By anon
Sat, 03/21/2020 - 12:34am
Are we to assume fare will be free for the duration of this? Otherwise people are boarding in the rear, walking past people to the front, close to the driver, to pay, and then walking back again, which defeats the purpose of the whole thing. As per usual, the T is being completely counterintuitive. Like cutting back service (purportedly now restored) on the ever-busy Blue Line when they should have added service.
Mattapan trolleys, too?
By Ron Newman
Sat, 03/21/2020 - 2:01am
A lot of people like myself are stuck
By anon
Sat, 03/21/2020 - 8:18am
With our monthly passes for next month, 30 day notice to cancel. So the T is still getting more revenue than one would think.
Someone has to pay for those 40 yo retirees.
Do All the Impossible Things
By Steve in Somerville
Sat, 03/21/2020 - 12:48pm
My head is spinning! Everything that we were told was IMPOSSIBLE (reduce auto use, slash CO2 output, provide universal basic income, eliminate transit fares) is now all happening in one week!
Kind of amazing how we can transform our whole society to better care for one another through focused collective action!
If I were a younger man, I might believe there's a lesson here!
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