Too close for comfort: SkyTrain riders want distancing rules enforced
Some transit users are complaining TransLink isn’t doing enough to enforce physical distancing
As she rode the SkyTrain one afternoon last week, Liz Rosslyn noticed that people kept sitting beside and across from her, disregarding the physical distancing guidelines that are meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
It was the first time she had been on SkyTrain for weeks, and Rosslyn was so uncomfortable that she got off twice during her four-stop journey home from downtown Vancouver to wait for another train with fewer passengers.
“I don’t know if it’s reasonable, but I was actually kind of shook,” Rosslyn said. “By the time I got home I was so grateful, I did the two-minute hand wash and then I jumped in the shower. It just felt incredibly risky, the whole trip.”
Rosslyn isn’t the only person who’s felt uneasy on SkyTrain, particularly since service on the Expo and Millennium lines has been reduced by 40 per cent, and by 25 per cent on the Canada Line. That means shorter trains that come less frequently.
Richard Dumais is a construction worker and used transit every day until recently, when he started taking people up on their offers of rides. He said as changes were made to service, there was less room to spread out on SkyTrain and the rides felt “very tense.” Now, he avoids using the train as much as possible unless he can ride it outside of rush hours.
“The bus seems to be some kind of under control, where on the SkyTrain if you’re not comfortable just because of the distancing and all and you say so, you really are being told to just get out,” Dumais said.
Transit Police spokesman Sgt. Clint Hampton said members of the public contact the department daily with concerns about physical distancing on all modes of transit, including SkyTrain, as well as while waiting at stations and bus stops.
“While the large majority of individuals using transit are following distancing guidelines, there are a minority who are not following the rules,” Hampton said in an email.
With service reductions, CUPE 7000 president Tony Rebelo said it was foreseeable there would be more crowding on SkyTrain. The union represents, among others, the
SkyTrain attendants.
“We knew that the trains, especially during the rush hour times, would definitely be more full and you wouldn’t have an opportunity to practise social distancing,” Rebelo said.
While SkyTrain attendants are on hand to help users from a safe distance, they don’t have the ability to enforce distancing guidelines on trains or limit the number of people in cars.
“They’re there to help and assist all our passengers and make sure the system is running, and running safely,” Rebelo said.
There are some initiatives in place at SkyTrain stations, such as decals on the ground to promote physical distancing as people wait for trains, but it’s minimal compared to buses, where passengers board by the rear doors, many seats are blocked off and standing is not allowed.
Rosslyn said such measures would make her feel safe on the train, along with sanitizer near the ticket machines, which have touch screens and number pads.
Asked why TransLink hasn’t implemented more measures on SkyTrain, spokesman Ben Murphy said enforcing seating limitations would be difficult and, in general, crowding has not been a concern on trains.
“For the most part, SkyTrain cars have been empty, so we aren’t seeing this as a widespread issue,” Murphy said.
“However, given British Columbia’s restart plan, which will be coming into effect in the coming weeks in terms of customers returning to work, we are giving a lot of thought now to exactly how to enhance protocols and ensure physical distancing can occur. Part of that, of course, will be service levels.”
In the meantime, Murphy said TransLink is asking those who are not essential workers to avoid travel on the transit system during rush hours. He said if someone finds a train car is busy and there is limited opportunity to physically distance, they should consider moving to another car or waiting for the next train, as Rosslyn did.
Hampton said officers are educating people about the importance of physical distancing and encourage anyone who feels unsafe on transit to text or call the non-emergency line.