Restoring Safe Services
 

Transportation Advice

Advice for carpooling:

  • It can be difficult to maintain proper social distancing in a vehicle.
  • If you are sick, stay home and do not carpool.
  • If you continue to carpool with people outside your immediate household, limit this to one additional passenger and have that individual sit in the back passenger side seat with the windows open if possible.
  • Have passengers place their belongings in the trunk of the vehicle.
  • Clean your hands often, do not touch your face, practice cough/sneeze etiquette and disinfect your vehicle regularly, paying particular attention to high-touch areas (e.g., door handles, window controls).

Advice for travelers flying into Manitoba:

All return travelers are advised to self-isolate. To get from the airport to where you are self-isolating, you are advised to:

  • Avoid using public transit (i.e., the bus). Use a private vehicle, and remain in your vehicle. Do not make unnecessary stops. If you need gas, pay at the pump. If you need food, go through a drive-thru, ensuring you maintain a two-metre distance and avoid paying with cash. Do not stop for supplies or groceries. Ask friends to drop-off groceries and supplies, or use a delivery or pick-up service when you get home.
  • Use of taxis by return travelers who are not experiencing symptoms (e.g., cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose) of a respiratory illness is NOT recommended. However, if you do not have access to a private vehicle, this could be considered provided you follow all requirements as outlined under the advice for vehicles for hire (e.g., taxi drivers) and their passengers.
  • If you have symptoms of a respiratory illness (e.g., cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose) and do not have access to a private vehicle, call Health Links - Info Santé to assist with developing a plan to get to your place of self-isolation.
  • Some airports offer services that allow a family member/friend to drop your vehicle/keys off at the airport for you to pick-up; contact the airport for more information.

Advice for vehicle for hire (e.g. taxi drivers, Handi-Transit) and their passengers:

  • Screen all passengers for symptoms of COVID-19 or exposures prior to entering the vehicle. Passengers experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness (e.g., cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose) that do not have access to a private vehicle, are advised to call Health Links - Info Santé to assist with developing a plan to get to a health facility.

Drivers should do the following:

  • Ensure you self-monitor yourself for symptoms before starting your shift. If you have symptoms (e.g., cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, difficulty breathing), do not work. Stay home and self-isolate (i.e., keep away from others).
  • Consult Transport Canada's guidelines when considering a physical barrier between the driver and passengers. As an alternative to installing a physical barrier, leave the passenger seat and the seat immediately behind the driver unoccupied.
  • Transport one fare at a time. (e.g. people from the same household).
  • Clean your hands before you pick-up each fare with an alcohol-based hand cleanser.
  • Open the vehicle windows (weather permitting) and use the vents of the vehicle to bring in fresh air from outside (avoid using the recirculated air option of the vehicle).
  • Encourage passengers to use an alcohol-based hand cleanser before entering the vehicle, and ask passengers to avoid touching the interior of the vehicle as much as possible.
  • Limit contact with passengers by:
    • requiring passengers to load and unload their personal belongings (e.g., suitcases, briefcases) by themselves; if this is not feasible and passengers require assistance, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before/after (un)loading passengers' personal belongings. and
    • requiring passengers to sit in the back seats only (if transporting one passenger, have them sit in the back, passenger side of the vehicle). The front passenger seat should be vacant at all times. This may mean limiting the number of passengers you transport at one time, and may require additional trips. Passengers with special needs who require a companion may sit next to their companion (treated as if they were from the same household). As applicable, passengers from different households should also maintain physical distancing (two metres) when lining up to get in the vehicle, and when exiting the vehicle.
    • should a passenger require assistance getting in/out of the vehicle and/or with their seatbelts, limit the interaction to be as brief as possible, and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before/after assisting the passenger.
  • Direct passengers to place all of their personal belongings in the trunk rather than in the back seat.
  • Encourage cashless transactions.
  • Clean and disinfect your vehicle after you drop off each fare with an alcohol (70 per cent) wipe, paying close attention to surfaces that are touched frequently (e.g., door handles, window controls, payment device). Where possible, use vehicles with interior surfaces that can be cleaned and disinfected easily (e.g,. vinyl seats instead of fabric).
  • Clean your hands after you drop off each fare with an alcohol-based hand cleanser. You should also clean your hands before and after you eat as well as after you cough or sneeze.
  • Provide a closed bin, lined with a plastic bag (i.e., plastic-lined garbage container) to enable the hygienic disposal of waste (e.g., used tissues).
  • Everyone in the vehicle should avoid touching their face, practice good cough etiquette, avoid touching high-touch areas and clean their hands before and after getting on the bus

Advice for public transit drivers and passengers:

  • People who are sick are advised to self-isolate and not take public transit; bus drivers are advised to not go into work. Someone who requires medical assistance for a respiratory illness (e.g., cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose) who does not have access to a private vehicle, should call Health Links - Info Santé to assist with developing a plan to get to a health facility.
  • Passengers are advised to follow social distancing measures, ensuring there is a two-metre distance between themselves and other people on the bus at all times, and should take the bus during non-peak times as much as possible for essential purposes only (e.g., picking-up groceries and supplies, reporting for work in-person).
  • Everyone on the bus should avoid touching their face, practice good cough etiquette, avoid touching high-touch areas and clean their hands before and after getting on the bus. Bus drivers are encouraged to clean their hands often, especially after coughing or sneezing, before and after eating, and after using the toilet.
  • Winnipeg and Brandon Transit have advised that they have implemented enhanced, frequent cleaning and disinfecting on all of the buses. Information is available on precautionary measures Winnipeg Transit page. Visit the precautionary measures Brandon Transit has adopted, for addtional information.

Advice for motorcyclists and passengers:

  • If you or your passenger are sick, stay home.
  • Limit passengers to individuals in your immediate household.
  • Drivers and passengers should use their own personal helmet and gear (jacket, gloves, etc.); do not share helmets/gear or use someone else's helmet/gear.
  • Drivers and passengers should clean/disinfect their own helmet and gear after each use.
  • Drivers and passengers should clean their hands often, and regularly clean/disinfect high-touch areas of the motorcycle (e.g., controls, handlebar grips, etc.).