‘No mask, no ride?’ Hamilton bus driver union demands new transit precautions against COVID variants

Bus drivers in Hamilton and across Canada are threatening protest action unless more is done to protect them from dangerous COVID variants and increasing public transit outbreaks.

The union for HSR drivers has formally asked the city to return to first-wave" precautions on buses like strict passengers limits, back-door loading and no fares, said local president Eric Tuck. Right now, riders are allowed to fill almost every seat on an HSR bus.

But he said drivers are also pressing for priority access to COVID vaccines and a no mask, no ride, no exceptions" rule for Hamilton public transit, which currently allows medical exemptions to its largely unenforced COVID mask bylaw.

Public health officials do not believe those dramatic" measures are needed yet, said city emergency operations head Paul Johnson, who added limited vaccine supply also makes priority access for drivers unlikely for now.

But he added COVID risk for both transit operators and riders is a regular topic of conversation" during the third wave. We're keeping an eye on it."

Most of Hamilton's neighbouring transit systems have also so far avoided returning to free fares, back-door loading and severely limited passenger restriction.

But those measures are very appropriate in light of the new contagious variants," suggested Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto who has warned for months about the danger of easier-to-spread viral variants that now dominate Ontario's third wave.

Mandatory restrictions or not, he advised avoiding bus travel if you can to make room for those essential workers who have no choice."

Some drivers won't wait for the city to mull new restrictions, said Tuck.

Some of my members have already told me they're not going to pick up if (riders) are not wearing a mask," Tuck said. That might be a work refusal, but you know what? We have to take a stand. We have to protect ourselves."

The Canadian arm of the Amalgamated Transit Union also announced a nationwide call Thursday for more COVID driver protections and vaccine priority, warning protest actions - but not illegal" wildcat strikes - are looming if safety concerns are ignored.

President John Di Nino pointed to emerging COVID outbreaks or case number spikes among transit workers in cities like Brantford, Toronto and Calgary, as well as the recent death of a Brampton bus driver. Workers are scared," he said. We are urging all workers to use every legal means to keep themselves and their families safe."

So far, Tuck said Hamilton transit workers have been relatively lucky," with about 15 COVID infections reported during the pandemic. By comparison, 128 ATU members in Calgary and 107 in Ottawa have become ill. More than 800 workers have contracted COVID at the TTC, Canada's largest municipal transit system.

Bus riders have also reached out to The Spectator to question the difference in transit precautions between the first wave of COVID infections and the latest alarming spike in variant-driven cases.

Natasha Huyer said every time she rides the Route 2 Barton bus there are at least three people" who either don't wear a mask, don't wear it properly or take it off once seated. She has written the city to appeal for mask bylaw enforcement. Right now I think the bus is really a risky, dangerous place to be."

Nikoo Aghaei rides the bus regularly and sometimes feels uncomfortable" about the number of people not wearing masks, especially on late-evening trips.

The McMaster University graduate student has reached out to ask the HSR to consider installing free mask" dispensers on buses to make COVID safety easier for the homeless or others struggling financially. It seems like a small price to pay to keep everyone safer," she said.

Johnson said the city is already calling on residents to avoid the bus for anything other than essential trips" for work, groceries or medical appointments.

But he also noted ridership is way down" already - below 50 per cent of normal - so new mandatory ridership limits are not viewed as critical at the moment. The city is evaluating whether more buses should be added at particular times on busier routes to ensure there is no crush capacity" scenarios, however.

Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com