Beginning today, things will look a little different on transit in Metro Vancouver.

That’s because our new policy, which came into effect this morning, requires all passengers to wear a non-medical mask while on board transit vehicles.

Our new mask policy is the latest step in our Safe Operating Action Plan, which has guided our organization’s actions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and has kept our customers and employees safe along the way. Widespread mask use is essential for ensuring our customers have confidence riding transit as British Columbia’s economy reopens and more people commute around the region.

Over the past few weeks, our team has been busy preparing the system for the introduction of this new policy. We are using all available methods and channels to communicate this change to our customers including a robust marketing campaign, direct emails to nearly 700,000 Compass Card holders, and the installation of over 8,000 signs across our system.

This was no small undertaking for our employees. In fact, in our Coast Mountain Bus Company sign shop, employees worked around the clock and ran our printer for 75 consecutive hours to create the signage required for this new policy. In addition, our outreach teams have handed out more than 10,000 reusable masks at transit hubs around our region – with 20,000 more to distribute in the weeks ahead.

Although Transit Police will be able to enforce this new policy, the initial focus will be on awareness, education, and ultimately, increasing mask usage across our transit network.

Of course, we recognize that not everyone is able to wear a mask. With that in mind, we have identified several groups exempt from the policy, including anyone with an underlying medical condition or disability which inhibits the ability to wear a mask, persons unable to place or remove a mask or face covering without assistance, and children under 5 years of age. (Read more about exemptions here)

I would like to thank our customers who have taken the time to write to us in recent weeks to express their support for this new policy and our ongoing efforts to keep transit safe for everyone. I’d also like to thank our employees who have helped prepare our system for this policy shift, including those on the front lines who have worked tirelessly to keep our region moving over the past five months.

To learn more about our new mandatory mask policy and our Safe Operating Action Plan, visit our COVID-19 resource page at translink.ca/covid19.