TORONTO, ONTARIO – Carlos Santos, President of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 113, released the following statement regarding the Ontario government’s new public transit guidelines, including the recommendation for riders to wear masks on the TTC.
“The Ontario government’s recommendation for riders to wear face masks on public transit is a step in the right direction and comes after ATU Local 113 has called for mandatory face masks on the TTC.
With the province falling short of making face coverings mandatory, public transit workers call on the public to do the right thing by protecting themselves and others by wearing face masks on the TTC.
The real question is how will municipalities pay for additional measures to protect public transit workers and riders? Without emergency funding from the province and federal government, it will be next to impossible to maintain proper service levels on the TTC to handle increased ridership and ensure physical distancing.
Toronto needs the province and the federal government to step up and provide the TTC with emergency funding.”