Ebus is restarting service on its B.C. routes tomorrow, June 4, two months after service was suspended because of COVID-19.

Buses will be running four times a week, between Thursday and Sunday, with two trips a day between Kamloops and Vancouver, Kelowna and Vancouver, as well as between Kamloops and Kelowna.

Director of Business Development John Stepovy says passengers may be denied boarding if they do not pass a health check before their trip.

“We have reduced capacity so we’re only allowing 25 passengers on board our coaches in B.C.,” he told NL News. “Masks will be a requirement. We will have sanitizer at our office locations. We’ll have some processes in place for boarding and disembarking to try and maintain social distancing where possible.”

Stepovy says Ebus will be selling masks to people who don’t have their own, noting there will also be enhanced cleaning – including the use of electrostatic sprayers, and disinfectants. He is also asking people who aren’t feeling well to not travel.

“Fares in B.C. are fully refundable so if someone needs to make a change or cancel their trip, ideally we can move the trip to another day, but certainly if one of our passenger’s plans completely change and they need to cancel, our tickets are fully refundable in B.C.,” added Stepovy.

“It’s not optimal to be operating at 50 per cent or less capacity, but we see it as absolutely the right thing to do, and then as the curve flattens, hopefully we can open up capacity soon, and if not, we are prepared to move forward in the current state.”

The Alberta-based company has staff in eight centres across Alberta, and three in B.C., including Kamloops, while serving over 40 communities including Chase, Salmon Arm, Merritt, Vancouver, and Kelowna.