Lakeland Bus to resume commuter service on May 18

Lakeland Bus Lines said it will resume some service from Morris County into the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Monday.

The company suspended service in March when daily ridership dropped from 7,000 a day to 200 as executive orders in New Jersey and New York forced businesses deemed non-essential to close. Lakeland will run what it calls an "emergency schedule" between Dover and the Rockaway Mall into Manhattan on weekdays.

An employee for the company told New Jersey 101.5 that every other seat will be blocked to encourage social distancing. Riders will be required to wear masks and exact change is required for riders paying with cash.

The company may add more buses if ridership picks up.

Lakeland said buses will be entirely sanitized, from the floors to the roofs.

NJ Transit, which has seen drops in ridership of at least 90%, added extra trips to certain bus routes in an effort to create more room for social distancing. Riders can check its app and website to view updated schedules.

Passengers must enter buses through the rear door, wear a face covering and they cannot sit near the driver.

Bus tickets are being cross-honored on NJ Transit rail lines.

Service remains suspended on Trans-Bridge, a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based commuter bus company that runs along the Route 78 and 202 corridors into New York.

The company said it has been training employees in preparation to hit the road when Gov. Murphy, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo give the "all clear."

Trans-Bridge is also supporting efforts of the Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association to get motorcoach companies included in a future federal stimulus packages.