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As the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency makes drastic cuts to service to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, drivers are fearful and feel exposed. Five cases have been confirmed among Muni workers.
Roger Marenco, president of the Transport Workers Union Local 250-A, which represents Muni drivers and some other transit workers, said the city has not been able to keep the number of passengers on buses low enough to ensure social distancing. Drivers are afraid of being infected and are asking for masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and wipes.
“Operators are in such a high level of fear factor that they don’t want anybody getting near them,” Marenco said. “We drive as if everybody, as if every trip, you know, we’re carrying the disease, we’re carrying the virus.”