Government of Ontario Transit to cancel some GO bus trips as unvaccinated staff to be placed on leave

 

Metrolinx says it is expecting to cancel a limited number of GO bus trips on Monday as some of its employees will be unavailable to work due to their COVID-19 vaccination status.

The Crown agency's mandatory vaccine policy will take effect on Nov. 1, meaning all staff who have not provided a medical exemption or proof of vaccination on Monday will be placed on unpaid leave.

As of Oct. 29, 97.1 per cent of its 4,600 employees have completed their vaccination attestation, Metrolinx said, and of those, 95. 4 per cent are fully vaccinated.

"We have a better idea now as to how many of our workforce will be off on unpaid leave – it's a very small number (about 2-3% of staff), but enough to have an impact," Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins said in a statement.

"The teams have worked very strategically to minimize the impacts and ensure there is an alternative option available to customers."

Metrolinx said it will be cancelling six per cent of its 1,417 bus trips starting Nov. 1. The Crown agency is also advising that they may also be intermittent trips cancelled.

Metrolinx did not provide which trips will be cut on Monday, but Aikins said cancellations will be spread out across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area," so no particular customers will feel all the impact of it."

"Customers are encouraged to plan ahead, check the website for service updates before leaving home and sign up for On The GO alerts," Metrolinx said.

"We will communicate any impacts to services regularly with customers. We appreciate their understanding."

https://www.cp24.com/news/metrolinx-to-cancel-some-go-bus-trips-as-unvaccinated-staff-to-be-placed-on-leave-1.5646366