LCTA bus and van fares resuming June 1

Passengers on Luzerne County Transportation Authority buses and vans must start paying fares again on June 1, authority officials announced Tuesday.

Collection had been suspended since the end of March 2020 to allow for coronavirus social distancing because fare boxes are located by the drivers at the front of buses.

Passengers also were asked to enter and exit buses using the rear door.

The authority has now installed protective barriers for drivers on all 38 buses, said authority Interim Executive Director Lee Horton.

Bus drivers also are equipped with gloves and hand sanitizer for use in fare transactions, he said.

Along with resumption of fare collection, the authority will again allow passengers to board buses using the front doors and exit at the rear, he said.

Under state and federal guidelines, all customers must still wear a mask while riding and waiting for public transportation, he said.

While the temporary measures were necessary for driver and passenger safety, the loss of revenue hurt the authority fiscally, said authority board Chairman Charles Sciandra.

“We’re excited to get back to collecting fares again. It brings $80,000 to $100,000 a month to us to help fund operations,” Sciandra said.

The authority also is looking into a touchless disinfecting system but does not have enough research completed to discuss details at this time, Horton said.

In accordance with federal regulations, the authority also had waived copays for clients on its 48 shared ride paratransit vans while fares for buses were waived. The authority will resume collecting fares for the van service on June 1, it said.

Information on bus and van scheduling, routes and fares is available at www.lctabus.com.