There’s a dose of fatalism to how one veteran TTC bus driver describes going to work in the midst of a pandemic.

He’s worried, but he’s accepted the risk.

“I’ve come to the realization that there’s a really good chance that I’ll probably test positive for this at some point,” said the driver, of the COVID-19 virus that has partially paralyzed the city.

“You’re eight hours in the seat, maybe 10 hours in the seat. People are coming and going and you don’t know their situation. How sick they are, how well they are. It’s just constant exposure.”

But despite concerns for his own safety and that of his family — he has a wife and two young children he’s worried about passing the virus to should he contract it — the driver, who has worked for the agency for 14 years and drives a route in Toronto’s west end, said he knows it’s important that he gets behind the wheel every day.

“You’ve got nurses and doctors and first responders who are trying to get to work or get home from work,” he said. “They’re my concern.”

With businesses shuttered, schools closed, and streets nearly deserted as Toronto enters what’s expected to be a prolonged shutdown to slow the spread of the virus, most of the TTC’s roughly 5,000 bus, streetcar, and subway operators remain on the job. So are the thousands of mechanics, transit control staff, cleaners, and other employees who support day-to-day operations.

The Star interviewed a half dozen frontline TTC workers to see how they’re coping with the crisis. The paper has agreed not to publish their names because the transit agency didn’t authorize them to speak to media, and they said they feared being disciplined.

The employees reported a mix of anxiety and acceptance among TTC staff.

“People are worried but spirits are still pretty good,” one subway worker said.

Unlike other Canadian transit agencies, the TTC, which operates the country’s busiest network, hasn’t significantly reduced its service in response to the pandemic, at least not yet.

As of Friday, the agency was operating 100 per cent of regularly scheduled subway service. The number was 97 per cent for buses, and 93 per cent for streetcars.

However, the TTC said Friday it’s reviewing service levels to respond to the dramatic drop in ridership since the crisis began.

In a note sent to its board, the agency said it normally carries about 10.4 million passengers each week. As of last Tuesday, ridership was down between 50 to 60 per cent. A corresponding drop in revenue would see weekly fare proceeds fall from about $24 million to $10 million, giving a sense of how much money the TTC stands to lose over the course of the crisis.

Even with the reduced demand, however, the agency is still carrying a substantial number of passengers. Last Tuesday it recorded more than 600,000 riders.

In addition to adjusting service to match lower ridership, TTC spokesperson Stuart Green acknowledged the agency might also have to scale back service if less staff become available.

Some employees have booked off work for reasons that could be related to the virus; either out of concern for their safety or to follow public health recommendations for people in certain conditions to self-isolate.

On Wednesday the TTC recorded its first positive COVID-19 case; a mechanic who had recently returned from a trip. The TTC has temporarily closed the garage where he worked, and told between 130 and 170 employees at the facility to stay home until this week. The longer the crisis drags on, the harder it will likely be for the TTC to keep enough staff on hand to maintain service levels.

Bus drivers, in particular, have expressed concern about working conditions during the pandemic, because unlike subway and streetcar operators, their operating areas aren’t physically separated from passengers.

“We all are worried, not just for ourselves but family members and our co-workers,” said one bus operator last week.

Employees on other vehicles are also concerned. Subway workers are deployed in teams of two, and take turns driving the train and acting as the guard. The latter job requires the worker to stick their head out the subway window onto the subway platform.

“All it takes is someone to cough in our face and that’s it,” said the subway employee who spoke to the Star. “Everybody’s on edge.”

The TTC has remained up and running through previous crises.

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One veteran bus driver, a third-generation TTC employee who works in the city’s east end, said he worked through the SARS epidemic in 2003, the G20 summit in 2010, and major storms that ground much of the city to a halt. But the coronavirus feels different than anything that’s hit the transit agency before.

“There seemed to be an end” to the previous crises, he said. “There doesn’t seem to be an end to this.”

The driver said he’s taking extra precautions by being careful about what he touches and wiping down his work area. But some tasks still make him nervous, like the safety check that requires him to physically touch bus stanchions and emergency windows at the start of each shift to ensure they’re stable.

It’s difficult to “keep your mind on the road” while preoccupied about the pandemic, he said.

The veteran west-end bus driver who spoke to the Star said the lack of passengers and cars out on the streets has itself become unnerving.

“You’re seeing empty roads and empty buses. And it’s going to put doubt in your mind. Should I be here?” he said.

On Wednesday the TTC announced a series of policies designed to address frontline workers’ concerns and stave off potential job action. After a sustained campaign from the transit workers union, the agency agreed to reverse its prohibition against employees wearing face masks on the job.

Then on Monday, the TTC said it would stop accepting cash, tickets or tokens on buses, and would advise bus passengers to board and exit through rear doors, in an effort minimize drivers’ contact with customers.

The TTC says it’s also increased the frequency of vehicle cleaning to two to three times a day, and provided employees with disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer, accompanied by instructions about how to keep workplaces clean.

According to Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, the TTC has also guaranteed its members full pay during 14-day self-isolation, and waived requirements for medical notes for sick leave.

Some operators are taking additional steps. Workers who spoke to the Star said bus drivers have taped off the seat directly behind the cab so passengers can’t sit close to them. Such measures aren’t sanctioned by TTC management.

Not all drivers are worried about COVID-19. A bus operator with 16 years’ experience who works in Scarborough said she believes the media has blown the virus out of proportion and she’s “not really nervous about it.”

She chalks up her lack of concern partially to her resilient personality, and to the fact she worked through the SARS outbreak. But she lives with her parents, both of whom are over 70 and considered at higher risk for the disease, so she takes precautions by regularly washing her hands, wearing gloves, and “constantly” refilling her bottle of sanitizer.

While during normal times criticizing the TTC can seem like a favourite pastime for Torontonians, some transit workers say residents are showing their appreciation during the crisis. The east-end bus driver said a few days ago a woman pushing a stroller on the sidewalk gave him the thumbs up as his bus passed by.

“That felt really good,” he said.

He said TTC drivers aren’t usually “rah, rah, rah” about their jobs and can be prone to grousing about work. But there is a quiet sense of pride among the operators who keep showing up for their shifts.

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“We don’t share it, we’re not like that. But of course, at times like this, we are proud,” he said.