Today, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) officially announced the “Health and Safety Commitments Program,” the public transportation industry’s overarching pledge to passengers that public transit systems are taking all the necessary measures to operate safely as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of today’s launch, over 100 public transit systems have signed on to the APTA Health and Safety Commitments program.
The program was developed after asking transit users from across the country what measures would make them feel more confident riding public transportation amid concerns about COVID-19. From this research, the industry identified four key areas that transit systems need to address to earn riders’ confidence:
- Following public health guidelines from official sources
- Cleaning and disinfecting transit vehicles frequently and requiring face coverings and other protections
- Keeping passengers informed and empowered to choose the safest times and routes to ride
- Putting health first by requiring riders and employees to avoid public transit if they have been exposed to COVID-19 or feel ill
Transit systems throughout the nation have pledged to meet these commitments by creating specific policies that are effective for their system, their riders, and their communities. A key component of the Health and Safety Commitments Program is the shared responsibility of transit systems and riders to follow the guidelines. Riders rely on public transit systems to follow these commitments, and systems rely on riders to protect themselves and other customers.
In announcing this new industry-wide pledge, the industry reiterated its urgent request that Congress and the Administration provide at least $32 billion in emergency funding to ensure that public transit services can continue to operate to serve essential front-line employees and to aid in the nation’s recovery.
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SOURCE: American Public Transportation Association
