Anyone who is feeling unwell or has been outside of the country in the past 14 days is asked to not use city buses.

Those using Guelph Transit’s mobility services are being asked to avoid all non-essential travel. Service users will be screened as many of its riders are older adults, who are more at risk of illness.

Asked whether the move to make transit free and reducing the number of buses could lead to more crowding, Guthrie said the city’s numbers say otherwise.

;Our data is actually telling us it would be the opposite, specifically because the University of Guelph students have been sent home,” he said.

Because of the drastic decrease in ridership … the room and capacity to enable riders to be using (the bus) is there — it can be accommodated.”

Guthrie added that the move is not being advertised as a way to get people to try out transit, and is instead being done to limit potential exposure between city staff and residents.

This is being done purely for the health and safety of our citizens and our front-line staff,” he said.

Guelph is not the first Canadian municipality to make transit free in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, the City of Ottawa announced its OC Transpo service would be doing away with cash fares and would mandate rear entry on its buses.

Starting Wednesday, Halifax Transit will also be waiving fares.

As for how much this move will cost the city, the mayor said the choice is between dollars and cents, and health and safety.

“At this time, the choices are very clear and very easy for me. It's the health and the safety of everyone involved, and that trumps the costs that we may incur because of the decisions being made,” he said.

“And at this point, we can actually be saving money from the decisions we are making today.”