Port Authority Waives Fares Through Sunday Amid Worker Shortage Forced By Vaccine Mandate
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Port Authority is giving free rides through Sunday because about 180 drivers face suspension for not complying with the agency's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The Port Authority said it expects the mandate to disrupt service when nearly 500 unvaccinated employees are suspended with pay on Wednesday. Though some employees are expected to return within the next two weeks, the Port Authority expects service disruptions to continue.
The president of ATU Local 85 said the union doesn't condone a work shortage and this could be avoided, but the Port Authority said the union lost its battle in court and employees have to get the shot.
On Tuesday morning, Port Authority customer care said on Twitter it was experiencing an "incredibly higher than normal amount of out of services." Many commuters told KDKA that they experienced long wait times or no-shows.
The Port Authority said riders who purchased passes already will get a complimentary pass and it's working to come up with a way to help riders who already paid for rides earlier Tuesday.