Bus driver ‘ keeping faith’
DANBURY — The early days of the coronavirus crisis were stress- filled for veteran bus driver Oswaldo Chin.
“In the beginning, everybody was panicking and scared because we didn’t know what we were going to do,” said Chin, 51, who has driven HARTransit bus routes in the Danbury area for 20 years. “The ( personal protective
equipment) took a while to come to us, and we still had to show up to work.”
What pulled Chin through the trying first season of the COVID- 19 crisis, he said, was “keeping faith and doing my part.”
Today, as Connecticut’s share of $ 14 billion in new federal COVID relief for the nation’s public transit systems filters into Hartford, Chin says the same formula of faith and action will pull greater Danbury through the second wave of coronavirus crisis.
“A lot of people are hurting right now, but we can’t lose faith,” Chin said. “We have to keep doing our part. That is the only way forward.”
Chin said it’s a morale boost knowing a second wave of federal COVID relief is on the way, after the president signed a $ 900 billion pandemic aid package on Dec. 27. A total of $ 210 million is earmarked for urban and while specific distributions throughout the state have not yet been decided, Gov. Ned Lamont expects it to be used to “make up for a lot of that shortfall” and “take essential workers to work.”
“It will keep the buses running and will keep us working so we can get people to their jobs at the hospital and at the grocery store,” said Chin, the president of Local 1622 of the Amalgamated Transit Union. “There are a lot of people who don’t have the luxury to work from home.”
Chin’s union leadership agrees. “This new aid is welcome and will be critical to stave off layoffs and restore service for riders,” said ATU International President John Costa in a prepared statement. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, our members have been heroes on the frontlines providing critical transportation to keep their communities moving.”
For Chin, driving a bus that’s half full is an important mission during this public health crisis.
“Taking people from point to point is important because these people play a role in the community,” said Chin whose ridership capacity of 35 has been capped at 15 passengers by COVID restrictions. “If they can’t get to work, they can’t do their jobs.”
Chin also feels fortunate that he has not gotten sick – although fellow bus drivers have – as well as four members of his family. All four members of his family have recovered.
“I’m an optimist,” Chin said. “I think better days are ahead of us.”