More than 50 bus drivers in Canberra have been furloughed due to COVID-19 outbreaks in the territory, and transport officials are working out how to manage the return of school bus services at the beginning of first term amid ongoing workforce shortages.
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Transport Minister Chris Steel on Wednesday said public transport services continued to be reliably offered due to good planning before the outbreak forced drivers into isolation.
"We are starting to see, as a result of furloughs, a range of different impacts on both ACT government services, but also in the broader community in hospitality, in retail and so forth. And that is being managed currently in the ACT government through our business continuity plan," Mr Steel said.
Mr Steel said a decision was yet to be taken on what level of public transport services would be offered beyond the end of the month.
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"Certainly for the end of January, we expect the interim timetable to be in place and we're also doing the planning around the return of school services, which were being delivered in addition to the interim timetable in term 4," he said.
Transport Canberra has continued to encourage people to travel outside of peak periods and to not catch public transport if they are unwell.
Face masks and checking in are mandatory on public transport.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
