It just occurred to me that the reason for the free bis rides is to keep the Bus Systems moving. IIRC, In Detroit, Bus Seevices have been stopped due to the fact that Bus Driverd refused to drive buses in the middle of the Covid-19 Pandemic, so bus service is temporarily not there in Detroit. In Miami in order to prevent a Bus Strike, they give free bus rides and have the bus driver roped off from the general bus area. Passengers have to leave and enter through the back. The caveat is that wheelchair Passengers still have to be put in the front near the bus driver and the Bus Driver still has to come directly into contact with them when loading and unloading them. So the bus driver and Wheelchair Passenger could still infect each other although this arrangement is far more safe than the normal way where everyone enters and pays at the front.