Pandemic in public transit

The SARS CoV-2 pandemic has had negative consequences for the Hispanic population, particularly for those with low income. Not only are more than 90 percent of those infected Latino, but everyone who has died is from our people.

Many, including members of our own community, have pointed out the causes of this phenomenon. For example, there are those who justify the data citing the overwhelming Hispanic majority within our population, but the figures don’t quite align, since only four out of five residents are Hispanic. Others blame us for the lack of application of measures to avoid contagion, such as holding large family and friends gather, in addition to refusing to use facial masks.

Many others point to the partial opening of the border as the source of our high rates. However, this has little to do with it, from my point of view. Having authorization and documents to cross the border in order to work or make purchases does not make anyone more likely to spread a virus than anyone else.

Another problem that our population has suffered is in the public transport service.

The Imperial Valley Transit decided several weeks ago to reduce its services as a security measure. In Calexico, for example, the everyday schedule was adjusted to that used on Saturdays. In this way, the 7 a.m. bus was eliminated, causing a bottleneck an hour later.

The problem is especially bad at the beginning of the month when demand for service is typically higher, and it has gotten worse. Passengers frequently are left behind because buses are at maximum capacity, which is already reduced because seating has been scaled back for social distancing purposes.

Especially when it is the beginning of the month, things have gotten worse. Not infrequently, many users are denied entry to transport units because these buses have already reached their maximum quota. And it is as the company also decided to reduce the number of seats available to prevent the spread of the virus in its buses, which means that only about 20 spaces are available per unit.

Occasionally (especially at the beginning of the implementation of the measures) IVT sent small shuttles to transport those who were left behind. Lately, this public transit service has been more likely to leave those users who are denied service to their luck. Even though users request additional shuttles by phone, dispatchers simply pay lip service to sending these additional buses without keeping their promise.

For its part, Imperial Valley Transit continues to receive the multi-million dollar subsidy from the Imperial County Transportation Commission. This company, which has been hired over and over again and again without much effort, forgets that the private transport companies, which are not publicly subsidized and which typically perform much more efficiently, have stopped operating due to the loss of passengers, such as the students who attended schools in Calexico and El Centro. This has increased reliance on the subsidized company.

In addition, the cancellation of the route to the Colegio del Valle Imperial by IVT and reduced hours of operation on the rest of the routes has enabled the company (which actually pays very little to its workers) to save resources. I wonder if authorities will continue to give the subsidy in full to Imperial Valley Transit, whose parent corporation makes billions of dollars in profits across the country.

I also question whether members of ICTC or our county supervisors (who I urge to go to their jobs one day using the IVT service to understand how people are served) are aware of this matter. Very surely not, since they are oblivious to this and many other problems suffered by their constituents.