RICHMOND, Va. -- GRTC on Tuesday banned unaccompanied minors from riding their buses during the COVID-19 emergency.
Solo minors in work uniforms or with their employee badges are permitted to ride GRTC to/from work.
Until further notice, customers are not allowed to remain on-board a single bus beyond their one-way trip. No extended rides on a single vehicle will be allowed.
“Immediately after suspending fares, our ridership jumped by several thousand trips a day. Some were kids out of school with energy to burn and some were people wanting to enjoy the beautiful Spring weather. But some were budget-conscious people looking for employment, making trips to the grocery store, or going to the doctor. While overall daily ridership is still well below normal levels, we need to take additional measures for those who desperately need our service during this crisis," GRTC Chief Executive Officer Julie Timm said.
In addition to limited trips and restricted rides for minors and groups, passengers are asked to sit one passenger per row, except for families riding together.
Passengers in violation of these temporary policies or otherwise disruptive to our service are subject to removal from the bus
“While it's completely counter to our normal lives to beg people not to ride, that is exactly what we are doing. Serving the community’s very real and very essential mobility needs during this crisis is a juggling act. Please, save our service for those who need our service!," Timm said.
