Spring quarter might have a different feel in these days of remote instruction, but the familiar red Unitrans buses continue to go the distance.

Unitrans is running on a limited schedule, allowing Aggies and Davis residents to run essential errands in this era of sheltering in place. For the time being, buses are operating on a weekend schedule seven days a week. Routes are limited to the G, K, M, P, Q, O, and V-MU lines.

“We’re emphasizing that people use [Unitrans] for essential trips,” said general manager Jeff Flynn. “We have hourly service on a few lines and things are going good.”

No fares are being collected to ride Unitrans, which is a partnership between the Associated Students of UC Davis and the city of Davis. Passengers are asked to respect social distancing measures and keep at least six feet of space from one another. Customers are also asked to use the rear doors for both entering and exiting the buses to help protect drivers.

The capacity of Unitrans buses has been reduced to accommodate social distancing efforts. However, staffers are keeping two buses on stand-by in case of a sudden uptick in rider demand.

“I want to give a shout-out to the staff that’s working at one of few public facing resources on campus that’s still operating,” Flynn said. “I’m very proud of the students and career teams that continue to come into work and drive buses so people can get where they need.”