Westmoreland Transit to continue service, step up vehicle cleaning

Westmoreland County Transit officials say the ongoing coronavirus scare for now will not impact local and commuter bus service and the agency’s Go Westmoreland paratransit shared-ride programs will continue at current levels.

Transit Authority Executive Director Alan Blahovec said buses and other vehicles will undergo additional disinfection to ensure the safety of passengers and drivers.

“We are going to follow any recommendations from the Federal Transit Administration, PennDOT and the county government. Otherwise, we are going to continue to operate our services for as long as we can,” Blahovec said.

Authority maintenance staff each day sweeps out vehicles and wipes down seats, handrails and other areas were passengers routinely touch. In addition to that daily maintenance, the authority purchased a spray disinfectant that will be applied as least once a week, Blahovec said. He met with the authority’s maintenance staff on Thursday to discuss the cleaning procedures, which he said were in place prior to the coronavirus scare.

“I’m surprised how well we’re doing it already and we’re going to keep doing what we can,” Blahovec said.

Drivers have been instructed to watch out for visibly sick passengers and to notify maintenance staff that additional cleaning on that vehicle is required.

Blahovec said the authority has not seen its ridership impacted because of the pandemic.