Savannah, Ga. – The Chatham Area Transit Authority voted on Tuesday to extend the emergency measures put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vote maintains the reduced services and safety measures implemented in March, which include a reduced schedule, limited bus capacity, rear-door boarding and waiving of fares to minimize operator and customer contact.
In addition, the board voted to extend the authority of interim Executive Director/CEO Michael J. Brown to amend the emergency measures if necessary before the next board meeting on May 26.
“We recognize people are being inconvenienced by these measures,” Brown said. “However, it is still necessary for us to maintain the current level of service in order to protect customers and employees.”
The COVID-19 emergency actions will continue based on guidance from the Federal Transit Administration and all other relevant government and health agencies. It is anticipated that these measures will remain in effect until state and local officials lift shelter in place orders and it is determined normal operations can be safely resumed. If the emergency measures remain necessary past the next CAT Board meeting on May 26, staff will request approval of an additional extension.
Until normal operations resume, customers should only use CAT services, including fixed-route buses and CAT Mobility paratransit, for essential trips such as medical appointments, grocery shopping and work. This is especially important since CAT buses are operating at 50-percent their capacity in order to allow passengers to spread out and meet social distancing requirements.
In addition, customers should continue getting on and off the bus using the rear entrance unless they have disabilities that require them to use the front door with its kneeling function and wheelchair ramp. Customers also should continue using cloth face coverings if they are not wearing masks while riding the bus or using CAT Mobility.
The revised bus operating hours are 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sundays. The modified schedule for each route is available online at http://catchacat.org/modified-bus-schedules/.