Metrolinx to cancel some GO bus trips as unvaccinated staff to be placed on leave - CP24 Toronto's Breaking News

Metrolinx says a limited number of GO bus trips are expected to be cancelled Monday as a number of employees who have not complied with its vaccination policy will be out of work.

Metrolinx employees are required to be fully vaccinated or provide proof of a medical exemption by Nov. 1. Those who do not comply with the policy will be placed on unpaid leave.

The transit agency says most of its employees are fully vaccinated, but the number of employees who remain unvaccinated or have not disclosed their status is enough to cause disruptions, particularly on its bus network.

According to Metrolinx, 97.1 per cent of its 4,600 employees have submitted their vaccination attestation as of Oct. 29, and of those, 95. 4 per cent are fully vaccinated.

With the vaccination numbers it has, the agency says it will be necessary to cancel about six per cent of its 1,417 daily bus trips. The agency added that there may also be intermittent train trips cancelled.

"We expect the impact to be minimal as we are working hard to strategically choose a variety of trips across the region that have low ridership and have other bus and rail options available for customers," Metrolinx said in a statement.

"Our priority continues to be to ensure our service can get people to where they need to go safely and to minimize any impact to their schedules."

Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins said the agency does not know which trips will be affected as it does not have the final number of employees who will be placed on unpaid leave.

However, Aikins noted that cancellations will be spread out across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area," so no particular customers will feel all the impact of it."

"Customers are encouraged to plan ahead, check the website for service updates before leaving home and sign up for On The GO alerts," the Crown agency said.

"We will communicate any impacts to services regularly with customers."

We're preparing for operational impacts tomorrow to our #GOBus service that will result in the cancellation of some trips. We're doing our best to minimize the impacts to service. We'LL send updated messages to any routes with cancellations. Follow us @GOtransitBus for updates.

— GO Transit (@GOtransit) November 1, 2021

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Metrolinx to cancel some GO bus trips as unvaccinated staff to be placed on leave - CP24 Toronto's Breaking News
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