TRANSLINK said on Friday that customers must now wear masks while boarding or waiting for transit at any indoor or sheltered stations and stops, as a result of the Provincial Government’s Ministerial Order mandating mask use.

Specific changes customers must now observe are as follows:

• In addition to transit vehicles, masks are now required at any indoor or sheltered location where people are boarding or waiting for transit, including stations, platforms, bus stops, bus loops, and bus exchanges.
• Face shields are no longer a suitable option in place of a non-medical mask or face covering.
• TransLink will suspend the issuance of exemption cards given that it is not able to exempt customers from a Ministerial Order. The Ministerial Order does allow for certain exemptions, which can be found here.
• Transit Police will conduct standard inquiries with any customer not wearing an appropriate mask or face covering.

Approximately 95 per cent of customers are wearing masks on transit and TransLink expects all customers to comply with the changes required as part of the Ministerial Order. Transit Police will enforce the Ministerial Order and can issue fines of $230, subject to the exemptions set out in the Order.

Customers who observe others not following the rules can report these instances to TransLink’s Customer Information team. This information will help Transit Police target enforcement in problem areas. Customers should not to attempt to enforce the Ministerial Order themselves.