Canberrans told to avoid peak hour public transport amid virus fears

Public transport use in Canberra dropped by 20 per cent on Monday as more people chose to work from home and avoided public places after Friday's announcement banning mass gatherings.

Transport Minister Chris Steel said cleaning of buses and light rail vehicles would be ramped up in response to the virus, with twice daily cleaning of vehicles and daily cleaning of stations.

People are being asked to avoid peak travel times, by travelling earlier or later than their normal commute, to prevent crowding.

"This will see fewer people on our buses and light rail at any one time," Mr Steel said.

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Transport Canberra bus drivers will also allow passengers to enter and exit buses via the rear door to reduce interactions between other passengers and drivers.

All services are running as normal but anyone who is sick should not catch public transport, Mr Steel said.

"The advice that was provided around large mass gatherings on Friday does not apply to public transport so those services are continuing to be provided," he said.

He asked customers to avoid using cash and use MyWay cards or pre-purchased tickets.

"We expect to see patronage drop off further as people make the decision not to use public transport," he said.

"But those services will continue to be delivered. We know that people rely on them to get to work to deliver essential services themselves, but also to be able to get down to the local shopping centre to buy food that supports their life."

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