LRT passengers must now enter through rear doors
Follows similar restriction on OC Transpo buses amid COVID-19 pandemic
Passengers boarding LRT trains in Ottawa must now enter through the rear doors, following a similar move by OC Transpo on the city's buses.
The doors and area closest to the train operator are blocked with tape and signs, OC Transpo said.
"We believe that these measures are necessary to protect the safety of our staff and our customers," wrote John Manconi, the city's general manager of transportation services, in a memo to council Thursday.
<a href="https://twitter.com/OccTranspo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OccTranspo</a> protecting the operator. This is new to me. <a href="https://t.co/GYVxr1Uyno">pic.twitter.com/GYVxr1Uyno</a>
—@CarlosInOttawa
Manconi said staff are looking for similar barriers on the Trillium Line trains but there are only two doors on Line 2 trains, which makes it a "challenge to implement."
While the barriers are up, riders with bicycles should use the next doors closest to the front of the train. Stickers are being added to mark this change.