SCOTSVILLE – The transit cooperative serving three of Cape Breton’s four counties is facing its largest challenge since setting up shop in 2008, and it has the COVID-19 pandemic and Nova Scotia’s accompanying social-distancing restrictions to thank for that.

Prior to mid-March, Strait Area Transit (SAT) provided route service between Port Hawkesbury and the Inverness County communities of Port Hood and Inverness, as well as making inroads to the Mi’kmaq communities of Waycobah in Inverness County and Wagmatcook in Victoria County. At this time, SAT was also providing Dial-A-Ride and charter services to Richmond County residents, while seeking further expansion into Victoria County.

However, according to SAT board chairman Jim Mustard, the current route structure and any expansion plans vanished at the same time the Nova Scotia government placed the province under a state of emergency and levelled heavy social-distancing restrictions that also included transit services across the province. This led SAT to immediately pull its vehicles off the road, and the resulting loss of business could put a dent in the transit cooperative’s bottom line, Mustard added.

“There were so many unknowns about where the virus was and how it could be spread,” said Mustard, who also serves as the municipal councillor for Inverness County’s District Three, taking in the communities of Inverness and Scotsville.

“Social distancing is certainly an issue in transit, and our staff were not aware of what training was required or what protocols might be in place.”

However, Mustard pointed out that SAT has kept “a skeleton crew” consisting of two drivers and a small number of office staff to be able to accommodate any emergency medical attention that might be needed by local residents. He noted that the cooperative’s vehicles have also delivered food hampers provided by Sydney-based Seaside Communications to needy families along Inverness County’s western coast.

In the meantime, SAT is advertising for a new general manager to replace Jessica MacDonald, who left the transit cooperative in early March - just before the arrival of the province-wide state of emergency. To fill the gap, SAT’s board of directors is governing the system, with several board members taking telephone inquiries from customers and pulling various office duties, Mustard added.