Beginning June 15, Riders Must Wear Masks or Face Coverings on The COMET

June 11, 2020

(June 11, 2020) Columbia, SC – The COMET announced today that beginning Monday, June 15, it will be requiring masks or face coverings for all persons riding any of The COMET buses or entering any COMET facility.

According to John Andoh, Executive Director/CEO of The COMET, the organization will offer masks to bus passengers prior to boarding for those who do not have a face covering. Face coverings must be worn in order to access facilities as well.

“We made this decision with the safety of our riders in mind. The pandemic is still ongoing but so is the need for our riders to get to their essential destinations safely,” said Andoh.

The COMET will provide masks until July 31 or until supplies are depleted.

“We were fortunate to be able to secure a limited supply of masks. This was important because we understand that people need time to adjust to this new policy, so we are providing masks for a period of time to help out,” Andoh added.

Reasonable accommodation for those needing to be excused for verified medical reasons may be requested prior to accessing The COMET services by calling 803.255.7133.

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About The COMET:  The COMET is a service of the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority and provides countywide public transit services on 34 fixed routes, five ReFlex services, vanpool service for commuters, subsidy programs with Uber and Lyft and DART for transportation to grocery stores and at night, ADA complementary paratransit service throughout Richland and portions of Lexington Counties and eight Blue Bike bikeshare stations in Downtown Columbia. The COMET transports approximately 2.8 million passenger trips a year on a fleet of more than 80 buses, vans and trolleys. Transit services are provided under contract with Transdev (until June 20, 2020), Enterprise Holdings, Lyft, Uber and Bewegen. For additional The COMET information, please call (803) 255-7100, TDD/TTY: 711 through the relay service, email: [email protected] or visit www.catchthecomet.org.

Catch The COMET…We Will Take You There!

About RATP Dev: Founded in Paris nearly 120 years ago, RATP Dev’s first Metro line crossed the French Capital and opened for the Paris World Fair on July 19, 1900 after eighteen months of construction. Today, RATP Group is one of the world’s largest providers of transit. RATP Dev, a wholly owned subsidiary of RATP Group, offers services to urban networks in 14 countries, including North America.