Keeping you safer

While the use of a cloth mask is no longer required, Ottawa Public Health strongly encourages everyone to wear masks on transit, and in stations and shelters. OC Transpo continues to follow public health advice.

As ridership levels continue to increase on Para Transpo, we are returning to normal operations, including shared trips, when necessary. Staff will continue to schedule trips as efficiently as possible to ensure customers’ needs are being met.

Every step along the way, our priority is the health and safety of our employees and customers:

  • Touch-free and online fare payment options like Presto and ParaPay are available to customers.
  • Para Transpo users can book, cancel, and track their ride online with My Para Transpo.
  • Virtual Line allows customers access to services at the Rideau Customer Service Centre without waiting in line.

In addition to these services, health and safety practices introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic will continue.

Enhanced cleaning

We will continue to perform enhanced daily cleaning of all vehicles, stations, and employee areas to keep our transit network as safe as possible.

Keeping it fresh - the air in OC Transpo vehicles is filtered and exchanged regularly: every 1-2 minutes for buses, every minute for trains, and twice every minute for Para Transpo minibuses.

Vehicles

Common touch points on all OC Transpo vehicles are cleaned and disinfected before going into service (and in between trips on Para Transpo minibuses), including:

  • Fare card readers and the fare box
  • Stanchion posts, hand straps, and handrails
  • Seats, windowsills, floors, and ceilings
  • Stop buttons and pull-to-stop cords
  • Buttons used to open back doors when exiting the bus
  • Operator area

Two attendants inside the station with cleaning equipment, both wearing safety vests and masks

Stations

Additional staff are supporting cleaning efforts around the clock, with high-traffic areas cleaned every 8 hours.

  • Overnight deep cleaning focuses on disinfecting all touched surfaces; including handrails, doorknobs and handles, elevators, escalators, washrooms, glass, and floors.
  • The touch screen, PIN pad, and other touch points on ticket machines receive enhanced cleaning throughout the day.
  • Station doors are locked open, where possible, to reduce touch points when entering and exiting.

Attendant cleaning the ticket machine inside station

Protective shields

OC Transpo Operator seated at the wheel of a bus wearing a cloth face mask. The Operator area is protected by a soft shield made of clear plastic.

Protective shields are installed at the front of all buses for the safety of operators and customers.

Trains have a separate operator cab that provides protection for rail operators.

Hand sanitizer

Woman wearing a mask using a hand sanitizer dispenser at a Line 1 station.

Hand sanitizer is available at all O-Train stations, most Transitway stations, and on Para Transpo minibuses.

Customers are encouraged to pump some on before they jump on – and again after their trip.

  • Non-revenue vehicles used by Special Constables, Supervisors, and other staff are wiped down at the start of the employee's shift using an anti-viral disinfectant.
  • Employee areas, such as break rooms and washrooms, are cleaned around the clock.

Contact OPH

To stay informed on the latest COVID-19 developments in Ottawa, please visit OttawaPublicHealth.com or 

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