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Metro will move to free bus fares as the transit agency keeps some needed service going while trying to stave off the coronavirus.

The change will take effect Wednesday and continue until further notice. It’s among the agency’s responses to the pandemic.

Also Wednesday, Metro will ask riders to enter and exit at the rear of the bus to create distance between bus drivers and passengers. With rides being free, it serves little purpose to maintain the close interaction at the fare box, said Curt Simon, Metro’s executive director.

Riders with mobility needs can still use the front door, Metro said.

The change will help keep essential workers safe and ease a financial burden for riders, Simon said.

Already, Metro has reduced service on its seven express routes and discouraged all nonessential bus travel and rides on its MOBY service.

Yet, thousands of people continue to ride Metro buses daily — a sign that, to those riders, the service is essential.

Simon said Metro would typically see 13,500 passenger boardings a day. Ridership now is down by half, or about what’s typical for a Saturday, he said.