Rules of the road

Carts, strollers, luggage and oversize backpacks are allowed as long as they are able to be folded, stowed or personally held (setting in adjacent seat is not proper) without blocking aisles (FDOT Reg. 392.62). If items block the aisles or cannot be properly stowed, then service may be denied.
Riders shall maintain appropriate, reasonable personal hygiene. All containers of body fluids must be empty and capped. If riders have offensive odor, open or seeping sores or are leaking bodily fluids for health and safety reasons, RTS can refuse service until the situation has been contained or corrected.
Please remember to take all your belongings and report any suspicious packages or activity immediately to the driver, local police (352-955- 1818) or local FBI (352-372-9600).
Be at your bus stop five min. before the bus is scheduled to arrive. When you see your bus approaching, stand by the bus stop sign, that way our drivers will know to stop and pick you up.
Help us stay on schedule by having the exact fare, your pass, ADA card, Gator 1 or Santa Fe ID ready when the bus stops and the doors open. As you board, just show your ID Card or activate/swipe your pass, or drop the correct fare into the farebox. Remember, bus drivers don’t carry change, so a credit for future RTS purchases will be provided.
Check the electronic destination signs on the front and sides of each bus to make sure you’re boarding the right one. (We’d hate to take you somewhere you don’t want to go.)
Feel free to bring your radio, CD, tape player, MP3 or iPod. Use of headphones is required and the music must not interfere with the bus operator and/ or other passengers. (Everyone loves music, just not as loud as you do.)
Please do not leave newspapers or beverage containers on the bus.
Eating, smoking, e-cigs and vapors are not permitted on RTS buses or at stops/shelters. (Imagine the mess.) Beverages are allowed, as long as they’re in a securely covered drink container as approved by RTS officials.
Please be considerate of others and keep your feet off the bus seats.
Buses move unexpectedly. Please remain seated, or if you have to stand, hold on to a support at all times.
No pets are allowed on RTS buses unless they are in a carrier. Service animals are allowed.
Children under 45” in height ride free when accompanied by an adult.
As the bus approaches your destination, pull the buzzer cord or press the bar located above the windows. This lets the driver know that your stop is coming. Try to do this about one block before your destination so the driver can make a smooth stop. For your safety, please exit through the rear doors and step clear of the bus. After exiting, do not cross in front of the bus. Wait for traffic to clear before attempting to cross the road.
Passengers should dress properly to ride the bus. This means shirts, shoes and pants are required. Light colored clothing should be worn at night for visibility.
Don’t forget to take your things with you when you leave the bus. We try to return as many items as we can, but RTS is not responsible for items left on the bus. If you lose an item, call (352) 334-2600, press 2, to reach Lost and Found. Everything turned in from an RTS bus is available to be picked up Mon.-Fri., 8am-5pm (except holidays) at 34 SE 13th Road Gainesville, Florida. Lost articles may not be available for pick up until the following day. Items except for Gator 1 and SF ID cards are held for 30 days. Gator 1 cards will be turned in to the Reitz Union ID office every Monday. SF ID cards will be turned in to the Santa Fe ID Office every Monday.
On each bus, you’ll notice several seats near the front designated for use by the elderly and people with disabilities. As a courtesy, please keep these seats open for those who might need them.
RTS or MV Drivers cannot push any manual wheelchairs over curbs or upstairs. This is to prevent injury to our drivers and is a safety issue. If the rider has a manual wheelchair, RTS or MV drivers can push clients in wheelchairs up ramps or onto vehicles, if client and manual wheelchair weigh more than 350 lbs. combined the drivers cannot assist them by pushing or pulling their chair. Drivers are not to operate power chairs or scooters for clients. Clients on scooters and/or in power chairs are responsible for maneuvering their own chairs onto vehicles.
The maximum amount our lifts on the fixed route can accommodate is 600lbs (chair and rider combined). The maximum our paratransit fleet can accommodate is 800lbs. While some of the newer fixed route buses have the upgraded ramps which can accommodate 800lbs, not all the buses have this feature and therefore RTS cannot ensure all buses on all routes can transport a passenger in a wheelchair or on a scooter whose combined weight exceeds 600lbs. Therefore for driver safety and lift/ramp specifications and capabilities, passengers who exceed the combined weight of 600lbs must ride on the paratransit system. If the client and chair exceed 800 lbs. Our equipment cannot safely accommodate these riders and therefore they need to make other transportation arrangements.
Please feel free to use your cell phone while on the bus, however, your conversation should not be so loud that it interferes with the bus operator and/or other passengers. Remember, not ever one is interested in your conversation.
Please remember no gasoline or batteries are allowed.