With money tight since it stopped collecting fares because of COVID-19, the London Transit Commission is getting cash from the province to help pay for the cleaning of buses.
According to Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Jeff Yurek, the LTC is getting $433,035 from the province to help cover the costs of the additional cleaning of buses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Transit services in St. Thomas are getting $16,861. The money comes from the Ontario government's $17-billion COVID-19 response plan. A total of $15-million is being spread across 110 municipalities e to help pay for the additional cleaning.
“I am very proud that our government is providing support to local municipalities in order to protect transit riders and operators from COVID-19,” said MPP Yurek. “Especially during the pandemic, it is critical that people are able to safely travel to and from home as needed.”
In mid-March, the LTC moved to a rear-boarding policy on its buses and stopped collecting fares. Since then, it has lost out on millions of dollars in revenue.
“We recognize that municipal transit agencies across the province are facing significant financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “That is why we are providing funding for enhanced cleaning on public transit systems and continuing to work closely with our municipal partners to support safety on public transit.”