The Jeffco Express cross-county bus service will remain suspended for the foreseeable future because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, OATS Transit Inc. has announced.
OATS had suspended the service on March 23 and planned to restart it on Monday (April 6). However, the suspension of services has been suspended until further notice, OATS reported.
“This is a difficult decision and one we are not taking lightly, but it is the right thing to do during this national crisis,” OATS executive director Dorothy Yeager said in written statement last month when the service originally was suspended.
OATS said it will set a date to resume operating the Jeffco Express when it is safe, as determined by government officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Our No. 1 priority is making sure our drivers and riders are safe and stay healthy before returning to regular service,” the company said in an April 3 written statement.
OATS, which is based in Columbia and provides transportation services in 87 counties in Missouri, took over Jefferson County’s nonprofit bus service on Dec. 1. Previously, the Jeffco Express bus line was owned by the Jefferson County Community Partnership (JCCP).
Until the recent suspension of service, OATS had operated two cross-county routes in Jefferson County that mirrored each other and completed three loops a day. One of those cross-county routes, the blue route, started in De Soto and traveled north to Arnold. The green route started in Arnold and traveled south. Both routes had stops in Hillsboro, Pevely and Festus.
OATS also planned to reinstate a dedicated Arnold bus route, but that service also is on hold because of the pandemic.
While the Jeffco Express bus service is suspended, OATS still provides essential service transportation through its OATS Transit and JC Transit call-a-ride services. Essential service transportation is defined as trips for dialysis, doctor appointments, grocery shopping, food banks and similar needs, the company said.
OATS said the number of people on each scheduled ride service through OATS Transit and JC Transit will be limited.
The company said drivers routinely clean and disinfect the buses throughout the day. OATS also has instructed drivers to refrain from touching any riders’ personal belongings and packages.
Those who need to schedule a trip with OATS Transit may call 636-933-9380 or 1-888-793-9333. To schedule a ride with JC Transit, call 636-937-6454 or 636-282-4470 or 1-888-793-9333.
JC Transit rides must be scheduled 48 hours in advance.