How coach buses have been updated to prevent the spread of COVID-19

Maritime Bus is gearing up to increase passenger safety duringCOVID-19 by installing Plexiglaspartitions between seats on its coach buses.

Coronavirus spreads primarily through tiny droplets. Theidea is to minimize droplet spreadby installing partitions between rows.

"We have a game changer here ... this is what we need in our industry," said Mike Cassidy, owner ofCoach AtlanticMaritime Bus.

He saidhis buses will be among the firstin the country to try the new partitions, developed by supplier Prevost and approved by Transport Canada and he believes they could help a lot with restoring consumer confidence in bus travel.

"How do we get our buses rolling again and have people travelling?" said Cassidy. "Number one is customer confidence when it comes to safety and it comes to comfortability."

The design is similar to plastic shielding that is popping up in retail and grocery stores. The partitions fit to the back of the motor coach seat.

Coach buses that normally seat 56 people will see the row behind the driver now unavailable, due to physical distancing, and the remaining 54 seats will all have the partitions.

Family members travelling together will be able to sit side-by-side. Those travelling alone will be asked to take the window seat, and leave the seat beside them empty.

"You can sit back, you can complain about COVID-19 or you can take advantage of the pause, strategize, come up with new ideas and make sure that people are travelling again because there's one thing for certain: we know people wish to travel, our job is to get them on the bus so they do feel safe."

Cassidy plans to outfit 50 of his coach buses that travel across P.E.I. and throughout the Maritimeswith these partitions, at a cost of $2,500 per bus.

He said the buses could be ready to go as early as next weekand the plan is to have everything in place to support interprovincial travel, once it is permitted by health officials.

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