Intercity bus service north of Sault Ste. Marie will be temporarily reduced to two days a week, effective this weekend.
Ontario Northland communications manager Renee Baker tells SooToday that buses will no longer run on four of the six days a week they currently operate between the Sault and White River.
Those buses will now run only on Mondays and Fridays, Baker said.
The six-day-a-week service (Sunday to Friday) that serves Sault Ste. Marie, Elliot Lake, Sudbury and North Bay will continue operating as usual.
Ontario Northland advised its regular customers that service reductions province-wide would take effect on Sunday, but provided no details in its emailed notice.
"Passengers who have reservations on a cancelled route will be contacted and offered an alternative travel time or be fully reimbursed. To change or confirm your reservation please contact 1-800-461-8558 or email [email protected]," the crown agency said.
"The only route fully stopped is White River to Hearst, however, passengers can connect to Hearst via Timmins and to White River via Sault Ste Marie," Baker told SooToday.
Baker said the cutbacks are directly related to reduced ridership caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's important to know that these changes are temporary," Baker said.
"Our ridership has been significantly reduced as more and more people have chosen to stay home."
"We will be continuing to service all communities, just at a reduced frequency."Cities affected by the new service reductions include Toronto, Ottawa, North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins.
Last month, Ontario Northland postponed a planned bus service extension to Thunder Bay, again as a result of the coronavirus.
Physical distancing is being practised on Ontario Northland buses by reducing passenger loads and staggered seating.
New sanitization practices include a disinfecting wipe-down of all public touch areas after every trip.