Manitoba bus carriers, airlines escalate defences against COVID-19

Even before Winnipeg Transit announced extra measures to clean its fleet of buses, several other transportation companies serving Manitoba had already escalated their sanitation efforts against coronavirus — almost to the point of being excessive.

"If everyone overreacted we would stop the spread. Overreacting doesn't mean you're panicking. Just because you're preparing doesn't mean you're panicking," said Kasper Wabinski, founder and CEO of Kasper Transportation. 

"We [as society] should have taken more dramatic measures a lot quicker, like probably six, seven weeks ago, to stop the spread. Maybe we would have been way ahead right now. So overreacting can prevent it."

Wabinski's company, which serves Winnipeg and northwestern Ontario, has 21 buses in service for scheduled routes and charters. Most buses are 14-seaters but they also range to 36.

Every time a run is completed — two or three times a day — buses are cleaned with hospital-grade disinfectant. A pressurized container of disinfectant is used to spray the interiors, which are also wiped down.

Wabinski said the Thunder Bay headquarters of the company is also cleaned and disinfected three times a day. As well, all staff have been given personal protection equipment — masks, gloves and sanitizer.

That's been going on since early February, he said.

"It's getting expensive," he said, estimating he has spent $4,000 on cleaning supplies and another $7,000 on infrared forehead thermometers to detect any fever before a passenger boards.

"We will not provide service to anybody who display symptoms, for our own safety and safety of our customers."

Wabinski says every business that serves the public has the responsibility to go to extremes to protect them from the coronavirus.

Winnipeg Transit said Saturday it is now taking measures to disinfect its buses after facing criticism for being unprepared for the arrival of COVID-19 in Manitoba.

Staff will begin sanitizing "high-touch points" inside buses using ES65H — the same hospital-grade disinfectant Toronto's public transit system started using on its buses early last week — a City of Winnipeg spokesperson said in a statement Saturday.

That's a change from earlier in the week, when the city said no extra cleaning and disinfecting was being undertaken. On Thursday, the city's public works committee heard Transit plans to cut three positions in order to trim $708,000 from its cleaning budget.

Winnipeg Transit's initial stance is shocking, Wabinski said.

"I don't want to be critical of anybody else but I don't think that's acceptable," he said, speaking to CBC News before Winnipeg Transit's Saturday announcement. 

"I don't move anywhere near the kind of passengers they do — I move 80 passengers a day — and we're taking more precautions," he said.

"I've done everything I legally can to give people and my staff confidence in protecting them. I've maybe even gone even further than that, asking my staff to limit their social behaviours or change their social behavioural patterns.

"Some people may say that's too much but in extreme situations where something like this is happening, I think that's necessary."

If it came down to it, Wabinski said he is prepared to shut the business down until the virus is no longer a risk.

"We don't care about generating revenue if that's going to put our customers or staff at risk because the damage that will cost to the trust that we build with our customers and our staff is going to be hard to rebuild."

Similarly, Mahihkan Bus Lines, which is headquartered in Winnipeg and serves destinations in northern Manitoba, said they have ramped up their cleaning because they transport passengers going to medical appointments.

"We take the cleanliness of our buses very seriously. Our staff thoroughly clean the bathrooms, wash all railings, sweep and wash floors, clean between the seats and spray seats with cleaner," said manager Karen Larocque.

"We use a cleaning agent called Sanigerm, which is an extremely effective one-step sanitizer for non-food contact surfaces. Also, hand sanitizers have been placed at the entrance of bus for our passengers entering and exiting."

Via prepared, no routes cancelled

Via Rail's Karl-Philip Marchand Giguere told CBC News the passenger rail company has implemented its "corporate illness control plan," which entails regular and thorough cleaning of all hard surfaces, including vestibules and washrooms, tray tables, armrests, doors, walls, windows and counters.

Should the COVID-19 situation worsen, Marchand Giguere said Via is prepared.

"We made sure to acquire more prevention equipment and we'll be ready for distribution and deployment when it will be required," he said, noting that no routes have yet been cancelled.

Although the Public Health Agency of Canada still considers the risk associated with COVID-19 as low for the general population in Canada, Winnipeg-based Perimeter Aviation said it is taking proactive steps.

It has implemented additional sanitation procedures for its 32 aircraft to meet or exceed PHAC guidelines, said Ron Hell, one of the vice-presidents for the airline, which provides passenger services from Winnipeg to 23 destinations in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.

"Surfaces such as airport counter, aircraft seats, tray tables, armrests, lavatories, et cetera, are thoroughly wiped down and treated with a high-grade disinfectant similar to those used in health care facilities," he said.

"On board our aircraft and at our check-in counters, Perimeter Airlines will be maintaining supplies of hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes. We have also implemented changes to our in-flight service offerings, including the removal of all non-essential reading material from our seatback pockets."

The company will continue monitoring recommendations from PHAC and take additional action as required, Hell said.