The City of Welland is announcing additional temporary changes to Welland Transit that will take effect Monday, April 13th. A Transit Reservation system is being implemented to provide “essential” only public transportation for City residents. The City will continue to operate Well-Trans service and Regional transit service remains the same including the Link with Port Colborne.
Here’s how the reservation model works:
- service will be provided from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm
- reservations have to be made 24 hours in advance by calling Welland Transit at 905-735-1700 x2291 (8am to 3pm)
- this is not an on-demand same day service
- those residents needing to be picked up will call Welland Transit and staff will take the reservation, and a bus will pick them up the following day
- trips are restricted to:
- medical appointments
- employment
- grocery store (one visit per week)
- this service will be provided free of charge
Why are we doing this?
- “go home and stay home” message remains key focus of public health
- health and safety considerations of operators and passengers in light of public health directives to practice social distancing and avoid non-essential travel
- ridership numbers have plummeted across region – we’re down about 80%
- no transit revenue
- provincial wide shutdown is expected to continue for several more weeks so ridership will remain very low
- no ridership from Niagara College, Brock University, and schools – shut down
For more information regarding these changes to Welland Transit and the City’s response to COVID-19, please visit our website at www.welland.ca.