Maine's long-distance buses restart their engines
File Photo / William Hall
Concord Coach Lines, which on March 28 suspended its bus service between Boston and over a dozen Maine communities, will resume some of its trips beginning Aug. 16.
Concord Coach Lines, which on March 28 suspended its bus service between Boston and over a dozen Maine communities, will resume some of its trips beginning Aug. 16.
The New Hampshire-based carrier said on Wednesday it will make eight daily round trips to Portland, with three extending to Bangor. Two of the Bangor trips will stop at Auburn and Augusta, and one will follow a coastal route with stops including Brunswick, Rockland and Searsport.
However, Concord’s express service to and from New York City is not resuming yet, according to a news release.
At stops and aboard the buses, new health precautions will be in place. Passengers and drivers will have to wear protective face masks, seating capacity will be reduced, and upgraded filtration systems will scrub the air.
Concord has implemented new cleaning procedures, including the use of electrostatic foggers on its buses, the release said. There will be plastic partitions at ticketing counters, bus gates, and even around the headrests of each bus seat.
“We are back in operation because we believe we can do so safely,” said Concord Vice President Benjamin Blunt. “Safety has always been our primary concern, but now that must include health safety and we’ve instituted strict protocols and new measures with that specific mandate in mind.”
Concord Coach usually makes nearly 30 round trips a day in Maine with as many as 17 stops.
The restarted routes are similar to the limited service Concord ran for a week after COVID-19 first broke out in Maine. But after New Hampshire health officials warned that a person there with the illness rode on Concord Coach four times, the company shut down all service.
Concord Coach dates to 1967 and began serving Portland in 1992. Concord has added other Maine stops over the years, and now carries over 500,000 passengers throughout the state in a typical year.
The company’s two other bus lines, Dartmouth Coach and Boston Express, serve New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Both services are also slated to resume on a limited basis Aug. 16.
On July 2, Cyr Bus Line resumed its service between Bangor and Aroostook County. Cyr connects with Concord Coach in Bangor and serves 10 other communities including Caribou, Houlton and Presque Isle.
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