Kitsap Transit to suspend fares collection on buses, ferries beginning Monday

BREMERTON – Kitsap Transit announced Friday that it would suspend fare collection on buses and ferries and allow health-care workers priority when boarding ferries as part of an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Beginning Monday, fares will not be collected on any of Kitsap Transit’s services, including routed, ACCESS and worker/driver buses, vanpools, ferries and the Annapolis Park & Ride, according to a statement from the agency.

Additionally, Kitsap Transit is suspending reservations on the Bremerton-Seattle fast ferry route, meaning all sailings will be for walk-ups only. On March 16, the agency cut capacity on the Bremerton-Seattle route from 118 passengers to 46 in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s statewide order banning gatherings of 50 or more people.

The measures are meant to “minimize interactions at the farebox and protect the health of (Kitsap Transit) bus operators and ferry deckhands,” according to the statement.

Health-care workers and first responders who show identification at the dock will be able to board first, Kitsap Transit spokesman Sanjay Bhatt said. After capacity on the fast ferries was cut from 118 to 46, multiple riders who work in health care contacted Kitsap Transit concerned that they would miss their boat, Bhatt said.

“We're in an emergency right now, so we felt like the right thing to do was give them priority boarding,” Bhatt said.