BRTA Enforcing COVID-19 Mask Rules

The Berkshire Regional Transit Authority has announced new mask regulations as per the Center for Disease Control and federal law. All riders will be required to follow these guidelines in order to ride the bus.

According to a BRTA Alert, under these guidelines, the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority says that it will board only people who are wearing a face mask. Drivers will instruct people that wearing a mask is a requirement of federal law and that not complying with the requirement is a violation of federal law and they will monitor for any person who is not wearing a mask and then seek compliance from that person. The BRTA drivers will at the earliest safe opportunity, disembark any person who refuses to put a mask on. To this end drivers will notify people of the requirement to make sure they are aware of and comply with the requirement to wear a mask.

There are some exceptions to the mask-wearing rules. People are not required to wear a mask when they are communicating, for brief periods of time, with a person who is hearing impaired when the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.

People are exempt from the requirement to wear a mask on BRTA buses include children under the age of 2 years; and people with a disability who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask, for reasons related to their disability.

Masks are available to those without a mask from the bus operator or at the Intermodal Transportation Center on Columbus Avenue in Pittsfield.