(WXYZ) — The Detroit Department of Transportation and SMART will once again start collecting fares and increase capacity on buses beginning next month.
According to DDOT, passengers will have to start paying fares on March 15.
They will see other changes, like the resumption of front-door boarding, barriers separating drivers and riders, hand-sanitizing machines and more.
Last March, both agencies suspended fare collection to limit the exposure between drivers and riders as COVID-19 cases increased. Then, they eliminated boarding through the front door.
Last last year, DDOT began installing permanent barriers next to the driver's seat, and SMART is replacing temporary shields and upgrading to permanent barriers. Capacity will also be increased to 20 passengers for standard buses and 26 on articulated buses.
Riders will still be required to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth. They will also be required at all bus stops in any transportation building.
“Throughout the pandemic, our goal at SMART is to ensure service is maintained so that those who need to make essential trips to work, doctor appointments and to the grocery, pharmacy for supplies can do so,” said SMART Board Chairman Khalil Rahal. “We have taken steps along the way to protect our drivers and riders as the science has evolved, and we are now ready to safely begin collecting fares.”
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.