Starting on Monday, March 14, Chatham Area Transit will begin allowing full seating capacity on its fixed-route buses, CAT Mobility paratransit vehicles and Savannah Belles Ferry boats.
CAT implemented half-capacity restrictions on all service vehicles at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to allow for more space for passengers to spread out. The decision to restore vehicle capacity is based on the decreasing rate of COVID-19 infections and the increased availability of vaccines. Passenger on all of CAT’s service will still be required to wear masks, as required by the Transportation Security Administration. Standing on buses will still be prohibited when the increased capacity goes into effect.
Increasing capacity is in line with what other transit agencies have been doing throughout the country, said CAT CEO Faye DiMassimo.
“We’re balancing public safety with the needs of our riders,” DiMassimo said. “And this is consistent with how our peers in the industry have adapted at this stage of the pandemic.”
The increased capacity is expected to help address some of the service impacts from the pandemic and an operator shortage by allowing for more passengers to board CAT’s vehicles.
The CAT Board also recently approved a $1,000 retention and recruitment bonus that is expected to help fill operator vacancies. In addition, CAT recently increased the starting pay rate for paratransit operators, who do not require a commercial driver’s license, from $12.45 to $14.25 per hour.
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