MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- MTA has reduced service because of the enormous drop in ridership, but at least during rush hour riders seem to be placed in unsafe, overcrowded environments on subway trains and buses.Photos and videos posted on social media and shared with Eyewitness News on Wednesday showed standing room only on a 5 train at the Jackson Avenue Station."The condition shown in the video is not acceptable. We are aware that there have been sporadic reports of riders unable to maintain appropriate distancing," MTA spokesperson Tim Minton told Eyewitness News.Minton said the MTA has taken steps to prevent over-crowding, including asking customers to move to less crowded cars where available, to wait for the next train, or seek alternate routes, including other train lines and buses."Both the NYPD and MTA PD have deployed to stations and on trains to assist in reducing any crowding that may develop," Minton said.