SASKATOON -- People in Saskatoon will likely be required to wear a non-medical face mask while taking public transit starting Sept. 1.
That was the recommendation put forward to City Council by the Governance and Priorities Committee on Monday.
City administration made the recommendation to allow buses to operate at full capacity while keeping people safe from the spread of COVID-19.
“This is saying to comply with the provincial government guidelines regarding transit, we should be having people wear masks on transit because since they can’t distance if we fill up the buses more, the province and the chief medical health officer is recommending masks,” Ward 5 Coun. Randy Donauer said.
It also means masks will be recommended but not required at city facilities when it is not possible to maintain two metres of physical distance.
In a report, city administration said free, disposable non-medical face masks will be provided to transit riders from Sept. 1 to 14 to help with the transition.
The cost of implementing this is estimated at about $19,250, the report said.
Exceptions include people with an underlying medical condition or disability which inhibits the ability to wear a face covering, people who are unable to place or remove a mask without assistance, children under the age of two, and first responders in an emergency situation.
Some people CTV News spoke with said they support making face masks mandatory on Saskatoon Transit.
“When you wear one, you’re saying you’re protecting yourself and others,” said Bonnie Severight, who regularly takes transit.
Miranda Laviolette, another transit rider, said, “It would be a lot safer. It would make me feel a lot better about bringing my daughter out too.”
This comes after other municipalities have started implementing mandatory face mask policies.
Masks are set to become mandatory on Regina and Prince Albert buses on Aug. 31.
Saskatoon city administration said they are looking at education before enforcement – something multiple councillors had questions about, including Ward 1 Coun. Darren Hill.
He said he does not believe it should be left up to transit operators to enforce the mask rules as it could potentially put them in a dangerous situation.
“If we’re expecting there will be any complications if this is put into place, then I would like to see a proposal on having some form of security measures or commissionaires riding on the problematic routes so that they’re enforcing the bylaw, not operators,” Hill said.
City administration said they have already reached out to Saskatoon police about being able to contact them if any issues arise.
The recommendation still needs approval from City Council.
