METRO offers free rides for vaccine appointments

SANTA CRUZ >> The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District is doing its part to try to make it easier to get vaccinated, the agency announced in a release late Thursday.

Starting Friday, those on their way to and from appointments can ride for free on all fixedroute and METRO ParaCruz buses. Individuals can simply let the operator know when boarding the vehicle and show proof of their impending inoculation. This could be a photo, a printout or an email of the confirmed time or vaccination card from the first shot. ParaCruz customers will need to specify ahead of time, when making their reservations, to take advantage of the free fare.

“The health and safety of our community has been a priority for METRO since the start of the

COVID-19 pandemic and providing essential travel is one of the ways METRO makes good on this commitment,” METRO CEO Alex Clifford said in the statement. “By offering these free fares we hope to open up transportation options to our entire community in getting to these essential vaccination appointments.”

In addition to providing free rides to appointments, METRO follows public health guidelines from federal, state and local authorities with acts such as cleaning and disinfecting transit vehicles frequently. Within the free fare program, customers will experience a touchless boarding process — minimizing the risk of transmission. Masks are required and now mandated by the TSA.

For information on the program, visit scmtd.com.