Browaty seeks Transit mask rule

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This article was published 19/05/2020 (2112 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A city councillor wants all Winnipeg Transit riders wearing face masks when riding the bus.

Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said he believes mandatory non-medical masks could reduce the risk of spreading the new coronavirus among riders.

Browaty said the change should also make some Winnipeggers feel more confident about boarding buses as Manitoba’s economy continues to reopen.

“When you have a confined space, like a bus or an airplane, and your encounters are perhaps not as brief and it’s harder to maintain social distancing, that’d be a place where I think mandatory masks are beneficial… It provides a little bit extra level of protection,” he said.

Federal rules do now require all airplane passengers to wear non-medical face masks when flying.

Browaty said he’ll advocate for Transit to adopt a similar rule for its riders when the province begins its second phase of business and facility reopenings.

“I would think that, to instil confidence in riding the bus again, face masks (offer) an inexpensive, quick, reasonable way to help encourage people to get back on the bus,” said Browaty.

Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), chairman of council’s public works committee, said the idea warrants consideration but he doesn’t support implementing it immediately.

Allard noted Winnipeg Transit is still encouraging Winnipeggers to make only essential trips by bus. He’s also concerned not every rider will be able to quickly purchase a mask.

“I don’t think we can guarantee a supply of masks for people who are front-line health workers, who are running our essential services, like grocery stores. I wouldn’t want to put people in a situation where they can’t get to work because they can’t get a mask,” Allard said.

Winnipeg Transit director Greg Ewankiw said enforcing a mandatory mask rule could prove difficult.

“I think the challenge comes when you are going to leave people behind if they don’t wear a mask, or who’s going to enforce that,” said Ewankiw, during Tuesday’s public works committee meeting at city hall. “We certainly don’t want to be putting our operators in a situation where they’re going to be making those kinds of decisions.”

Browaty suggested drivers could be provided with a supply of inexpensive masks to provide to riders in need, rather than be expected to deny rides.

Meanwhile, a different layer of pandemic protection on public buses is now fully in place. Winnipeg Transit’s entire active fleet is now equipped with driver safety shields, with the installation completed in early May.

In 2019, council approved $3 million for the shields with the goal of preventing assaults against drivers. The barriers have since also been relied upon to help protect bus operators against exposure to the coronavirus.

While the shield project finished about a month early, a new Transit master plan looks set to be delayed. The public works committee voted Tuesday to allow that plan to be completed by March 31, 2021, instead of later this year.

Transit officials said health directives linked to the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted public consultations on the plan.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga