SAFETY SCREENS
ADDISON LEE INSTALLS PARTITION SCREENS IN ALL 4,000 OF ITS VEHICLES
Addison Lee is to install partition screens in vehicles to protect staff and passengers from infection with coro- navirus, after new data revealed that male taxi drivers and chauffeurs are among those at highest risk of death from the disease. According to the Guardian, London’s largest private hire car operator, Addi- son Lee, claims to be the first in the industry to make the move, announcing that it would be fit- ting screens to all 4,000 vehicles in its fleet at a likely cost of hundreds of thou-
sands of pounds. Three drivers with Addison Lee have died of coronavirus. And three Uber drivers have been confirmed to have died from Covid-19 in the capital, but there have been reports of several more. Commercial and pri- vate drivers of passenger vehicles have been among the groups worst affected by the dis- ease, because of the difficulties of social distancing in a con- fined space. But as commuters returned to work with the lockdown eased and were
Addison Lee will be fitting screens, like that pictured, in 4,000 vehicles
advised to avoid public transport, demand for private hire services in major city and town centres is likely to soar. Work on installing the screens by Addi- son Lee has begun
and the fleet is expected to be all converted shortly. The design has been shared with Trans- port for London (TfL). The new screens are f lame- retardant , securely fitted, shat-
terproof and clear, so as not to impede the driver’s visibility and to enable clear communication bet- ween the passenger and driver. Liam Griffin, Addi- son Lee’s chief executive, said: “If London is to gradu- ally get moving again as the govern- ment adjusts its advice, it is vital to ensure that the pub- lic transport net- work is not over- whelmed, and that people have a clean and safe way to travel as they go back to work. This represents an enor- mous challenge for policymakers, busi-
nesses and com- muters in the capi- tal.
“Private hire vehicle (PHV) passenger services with strong safety and environ- mental standards are vital to ensuring individual car users do not swamp Lon- don’s roads, as has been seen in other countries where lockdowns have lift- ed.” The company is also using an electrostatic antimicrobial cleanser for vehicles and facilitating social distancing by en- couraging passen- gers to use the rear seats of its seven- seater vehicles.
NOTTINGHAM TAXI COMPANY FINDS NEW WAYS TO GET CUSTOMERS BACK IN ITS CABS
A taxi company has come up with a new way to save the trade after a mas- sive drop in custom due to the coron- avirus pandemic. Southside Cars based in Clifton said they are “a lifeline” for elderly people but many were fear- ful to ride in their cars when the infec- tion started to spread across Not- tinghamshire. Trade fell by around 70 per cent and the company also lost around 50 per cent of its fleet as drivers were self-isolating or afraid to drive their own cabs.
JUNE 2020
But with restrictions being lifted, the taxi company has placed plastic screens bet- ween the driver and the customer in 30 vehicles to protect both from infection. Firm bosses are also educating their drivers to wipe down seat belts and door handles to ensure customers are safe to ride in their cabs. Brent Foster, 32, one of the directors of the Clifton company, told Notting- hamshire Live: “I think there was a worry. If people were not going out they were not going
Southside Cars has put screens in their vehicles to protect drivers and customers
to get cab journeys. A lot of elderly peo- ple get taxis and they were self-iso- lating. We are
elderly people’s life- line but they were afraid to travel out- doors. The schools being closed and
the lack of party goers and young people has had a massive impact on our business. “We were operating with just 50 per cent of the fleet.” But he hopes the new measures will bring people back to the taxi trade as retail shops are set to open from June 15. “We are using a screen, it is a flexible plastic, it can’t be ripped and it can be wiped down,” he added. “We have equipped drivers with medical wipes to kill bacte- ria. It is a guard to
protect the driver and the customers. We care about our drivers. We are like a big family. “We are the first to trial out these screens. It is about staying current and taking action and making sure people feel safe. There is a lot of uncertainty.” Michal Tomczyk, 39, who is one of the drivers testing the screen, said: “I think it is amazing. It feels safer. “We keep the car clean and are more strict about every- thing. People might be less afraid now to ring for a taxi.”
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