Free fares through Thursday on OCTA buses

All of the Orange County Transportation Authority’s 81 lines are back in service and were running at more than 95% of their usual service levels as of Wednesday afternoon.

Fares will continue to be free until midnight Thursday. The authority expects service to return to normal Friday, following the conclusion of a weeklong drivers’ strike. Some delays may occur on select routes through the end of the day.

“It’s been a tremendous effort on the part of the coach operators, the maintenance team and OCTA staff to get the system up and running so quickly,” said authority Chairwoman Carolyn Cavecche in a statement.

On Monday, the Teamsters Union and the authority agreed on a new contract, which includes a 14.7% increase in wages and benefits for drivers over the next three years, bringing the entry-level salary to $14.20 an hour.

For more information, go to www.octa.net or call (714) 636-7433.

— Jessie Brunner