Carson Suspends Bus Service Due To COVID-19, Mayor Calls for Total MTA Shutdown
CARSON (CBSLA) - On the heels of an investigative report from CBSLA's David Goldstein, officials in the city of Carson have issued a second call for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Authority to temporarily suspend its mass transit services to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Last week, Carson Mayor Albert Robles called on transit agencies to follow his lead after Carson suspended all of its municipal bus service on Saturday -- with the exception of Dial-A-Ride or ACCESS Paratransit services -- due to the coronavirus.
Following Goldstein's report on the lack of hand sanitizer after a MTA bus driver tested positive for COVID-1, Robles vowed to push for changes.
"We are in the midst of a health emergency that is unprecedented and dealing with a virus that is unpredictable, and we can't afford to create opportunities for this virus to spread," Robles said. "We are
particularly concerned about senior citizens, economically disadvantaged individuals and the racial/ethnic minority communities that make up the greatest number of riders on the Los Angeles Metro system."
While he recognizes that halting bus service will affect people who rely on it as their only source of transportation, Robles said "the concern for the public health and safety of everyone, including all the bus riders, clearly outweighs the inconvenience this may cause some."
An MTA spokesperson told Goldstein the transit service is considered an essential business and that there wer no plans to shut down.