Riders on the Arlington, Virginia, bus system will once again have to pay fares and enter the bus through the front door starting on Sunday.
Arlington County said that both practices were suspended by Arlington Transit (ART) last March, but fares can now be paid by either using the SmarTrip card, SmarTrip app or by exact change at the fare box, while plastic glass barriers have been installed to protect the drivers at the front of the bus.
Face masks are still required for all passengers, and fares for a one-way trip will be $2, with discounts for seniors.
ART joins other region bus systems with similar resumptions in pre-pandemic services.
Metrobus said last month that it will begin front door boarding and fare collection on Sunday too. On Monday, TheBus in Prince George’s County, Maryland will also begin its “step toward normalcy” by charging passengers and having them enter through the front of the bus.
However, Montgomery County’s RideOn bus system will continue to offer its passengers free rides and have them enter through the rear.
