Update — Saturday, June 20, 12:02 a.m.: Face masks are mandatory aboard HSR buses, starting Monday, June 22.

Update — Monday, June 15, 12:07 a.m.: The HSR reopens the customer service counter in the Hamilton GO Centre, starting June 17.

Update — Tuesday, March 31, 5:24 a.m.: The HSR is revising policies and procedures to ensure physical distancing aboard buses, starting Friday, April 3.

Starting Monday, March 23, the Hamilton Street Railway is operating all buses with Saturday schedules Mondays to Saturdays. Buses continue to operate with regular schedules Sundays and holidays.

Since buses along these routes do not usually operate Saturdays, the services will not be available Mondays to Fridays, starting next week:

• 1A King (to / from University Plaza);
• 12 Wentworth;
• 20 A-Line express; and
• 52A Dundas local.

Also:

• Buses along the 11 Parkdale route do not operate through the Canada Centre for Inland Waterways campus;
• Buses along the 22 Upper Ottawa route do not operate to and from Red Hill Business Park. Trans-Cab service remains available.

The HSR says it will post the temporary schedules by March 20.

Starting Thursday, March 19 until at least April 5, the Hamilton Street Railway is asking passengers to board buses from the rear doors only and to keep a fair distance from the bus operators and other passengers. Only customers with personal mobility devices may enter and exit through the front door.

The HSR is also asking you to stay behind the yellow line at the front of the bus, and to keep the seat(s) behind the operator free at all times.

It says, “HSR continues to be a safe method of travel, this is a precautionary measure in an effort to increase social distancing, particularly for bus operators.”

This means that buses are free of fare for all passengers.

After an announcement from the Provincial Chief Medical Officer of Health, all City of Hamilton facilities are closed to the public until at least April 6.

This includes the HSR’s Mountain Transit Centre, 2200 Upper James Street and, starting Tuesday, March 24, the Customer Service Centre in the Hamilton GO Centre, 36 Hunter Street East. You’ll have to wait until further notice to buy any HSR fare products, including tickets, passes, DARTS Books, Taxi Scrips, and renewals of Senior Annual Passes.

Senior annual pass holders do not need to renew their passes even though their current pass may expire March 31. HSR operators won’t deny you service, and you’ll have ample time to renew your pass once service is back to normal.

The HSR has also suspended the taxi scrip program until further notice. If you are a current taxi scrip or DARTS client, call 905-529-1717 to book an essential trip, using your client identification number.

. You can still buy transit fare at the HSR Customer Service Centre in the Hamilton GO Centre at 36 Hunter Street East or at fare vendors throughout Hamilton.