COMET fares to resume Monday

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Beginning Monday, fares will resume for fixed-route bus and paratransit service routes for the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority.

The downtown connector, Soda Cap, will have a $1 basic fare, according to a news release from COMET.

Children under six years of age may ride for free on all services, while those age 65 or above, ages 6 to 18, or with disabilities are eligible for discount fares.

The COMET fixed routes and the DART paratransit routes have operated fare-free since March 2020, during which time passengers boarded through the rear doors for the bus operators’ safety. With transparent barriers now installed on all vehicles, passengers will begin boarding through the front door on Monday. Mask requirements remain in effect.

Passengers riding the COMET to receive COVID-19 vaccines may ride for free.

“As more of our bus operators and the public receive their COVID vaccines, we are carefully returning to normal,” John Andoh, COMET executive director and CEO, said in a news release. "We appreciate our riders' patience and understanding as we continue to navigate the circumstances of the pandemic together."