Trips to day program end over unmasked driver

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This article was published 23/10/2020 (1989 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg woman who has autism said she can no longer get to her day program because she doesn’t feel safe in a taxi when the driver refuses to wear a mask.

“On the Friday (Sept. 25), they were told we were going into code orange. On the Monday (Sept. 28), he wore a mask (but) he hasn’t worn it since. Before we went into code orange, he didn’t wear it either,” said Teagan Zienkiewicz.

The day program used to provide transportation for participants, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to sell some of its vehicles. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and the province hired taxi companies, including Blueline Taxi, to transport participants. Teagan has had the same driver each day.

Teagan, 21, is in a work placement that is preparing her to live on her own. Going to her day program at Options, Pathways and Transitions is one of the most important things in her life. Missing it because of concerns the driver doesn’t wear a mask is a shame, said Bev Zienkiewicz, her mother.

“When I got the call that she qualified to go to this program, I started to cry, and I said to myself I could die now. Because I couldn’t die before because she didn’t have anyone to look after her. That’s pretty traumatic,” said Bev.

Madison Zienkiewicz, Teagan’s sister, said other families have similar complaints about taxi service for the day program.

“Teagan is not going to her day program until something is done about this,” said Madison. “It’s not just her, it’s over thousands of people in day programs as well… maybe Teagan has a strong immune system, but not everyone does.”

Bev said she will not put her daughter in a taxi because it’s hard to know where the driver has been. She added, if they do not wear a mask, it’s hard to believe they are sanitizing the vehicle after each passenger.

“This guy picks her up in the morning, drops her off at her program, drives around, picks up some people for COVID testing, drives around some more, not wearing a mask, maybe picks up someone who is symptomatic with COVID,” said Bev. “My child then gets back in that vehicle and I’m not comfortable with that at all.”

Blueline Taxi is one of the companies that provides transportation services for the WRHA and province.

“Our expectation is that drivers transporting clients to WRHA day programs wear non-medical masks,” said a WRHA spokesperson. “We would encourage any client who feels their driver is not properly abiding by this expectation to please let us know.”

Despite a request for comment, the Free Press had not received a response from Blueline Taxi as of Friday.

The taxi industry is just like any other business under code orange public health rules. Masks must be worn at all times by the customer and driver, said a phone operator at Unicity Taxi.

Madison said her family received an email from Teagan’s day program on Thursday that said their concerns have been heard and all transportation services will no longer be used. The family will have to figure out how to get Teagan to the program each day.

kellen.taniguchi@freepress.mb.ca