FRED Transit buses are running without fares for the next few days in the light of the gasoline shortage.
The transit system that serves Fredericksburg and Stafford County writes:
FRED will be FARE FREE from Friday, May 14th – Wednesday, May 19th. Due to the current fuel shortage in the region, FRED will be fare-free for all community members during the temporary shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline to assist citizens with access to essential workplaces.
FRED will support the public by providing access to transportation options that reduce vehicles on the road and decrease fuel utilization in the region. FRED’s goal is to operate fare free to reduce the impact of the fuel shortage on our region.
For route information, locations, and schedules please go to ridefred.com
The gas shortage comes after a cyber attack left the Colonial Pipeline — the primary source of gasoline for residents of the East Coast — inoperable last weekend. On Tuesday, gas stations across the region began to run out of fuel.
Service along the pipeline was restored last night, but not before more than 15,000 gas stations across the U.S. ran out of fuel.
OmniRide, which provides local bus service in Prince Wiliam County, Manassas, and Manassas Park has been running local buses fare-free since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
An OmniRide spokeswoman writes:
OmniRide enacted Zero Fare in response to the pandemic and remains Zero Fare on our local and Metro Express routes. OmniRide’s I-66 services remain at a half-fare rate as part of the I-66 incentives to ride transit to reduce congestion and allow travelers to explore transit options. (The I-95 Express routes are faster and less expensive than driving alone, and of course, that has been around for a while.)
Anyone interested in exploring transit options can contact customer service for a new rider kit, which includes schedules and a promotional pass.
