SAFETY SCREENS
WELSH TAXI DRIVERS URGE COUNCILS TO APPROVE SAFETY SCREENS
Welsh taxi drivers are urging local councils to push through greater in- car safety measures to guard against coronavirus. “It’s a worry for every driver who is working,” said taxi driver Paul O’Hara. Mr O’Hara, secretary of Cardiff taxi co- operative, Drive, said he was con- cerned every time a customer got in his cab. “The slightest sniffle or sneeze, it makes
Mr O’Hara cleans his car after every customer - but stills feels vulnerable
you jump,” he said. “There’s no protec- tion between the customer and the driver so it’s a worry
picking people up.” Mr O’Hara wants to install a specially designed screen in his cab, separating
him from his cus- tomer. However, dri- vers require permis- sion from the city’s council to make any modifications to vehicles. Cardiff Council said it was following Welsh Government guidelines and was working with firms to agree a specifica- tion for screens that would not affect safety systems, such as air bags. A spokesperson said: “A number of installations have
Ghulam Abbass
AUTOCAB AND DRIVER BUBBLE PARTNER TO PROVIDE PROTECTIVE SCREENS TO TAXIS
Technology compa- ny Autocab is working with Driver Bubble, a supplier of screens for the inte- rior of private hire vehicles, to ensure drivers and passen- gers are protected during the coron- avirus pandemic. Plastic and PVC screens, supplied by Driver Bubble, shield drivers and passengers, reduc- ing the risk of virus transmission. They are quick and easy for private hire firms to install and clean – and are compatible with almost any make of vehicle. By forming this partnership, the two companies are aim- ing to keep costs down for private hire firms and help get drivers back to
JUNE 2020
work safely. An exclusive price on the screens can be
accessed
through ‘Autocab Connect’ – an online marketplace which offers taxi operators a range of third- party
services,
including insurance and marketing, intended to help support and grow their businesses. Autocab has also pledged not to make a profit on any purchases of screens made via its market-
place. Safa Alkateb, CEO of Autocab, said: “Passenger and driver safety is of the utmost impor- tance. As a business – and collectively as an industry – we’re looking at ways we can get drivers back out on the roads, while reassuring passengers that taxis are a safe way to travel. “We’re anticipating there will be a big uptake in demand for taxi services as
the country starts to get back on its feet. Not everyone will be able to take public transport due to social distancing rules. So, it’s key that taxi firms are showing they have put measures in place to ensure good hygiene. “Driver Bubble’s protective screens are a great invest- ment for taxi firms – both now and in the months to come. They will help many of our customers to get back to business as usual, without compromising on safety – especially when combined with a contactless pay- ment
option,
through an app or online payment ser- vices such as LynkPay.”
been brought to our attention and the licensing depart- ment is working with these compa- nies to help ensure driver and passen- ger safety.” “When retrospec- tively fitting any- thing into a vehicle, it is essential that it is done safely and it doesn’t compromise the integrity of the structure of the vehicle.” According to Public Health Wales fig- ures, more than 1,100 people in Wales have died with the virus - in- cluding taxi drivers Ghulam Abbass, from Newport, and Bob Harries, of Cardiff. The health risks are even greater for drivers from ethnic minority back- grounds. Abdul Hie, chair of Unite the union’s Cardiff cab section, said the majority of drivers from the city’s black, Asian and ethnic minority communities were staying home to protect themselves and their families. “There are so many unknowns. It’s so important we get to
the root cause of why this is happen- ing,” he said. A Wirral company that is producing custom-made plas- tic screens to be fitted inside cabs said it had been inundated with requests. “The bizarre thing for me is that we are still seeing drivers with no protection whatsoever,” said Shaun Marnell, of Car’n’Cab Care. “We’ve had calls from Conwy, Gwy- nedd, Denbighshire, Swansea and Car- diff. We’ve all got family at home we need to protect.” Mr O’Hara said drivers were “strug- gling to make ends meet and put food on the table”, having lost about 80 per cent of their work. He added: “It’s a case of needs must. But also, NHS work- ers, carers, support workers, they all need to get to work and feel a taxi is the safest way.” As the vast majority of taxis in Wales do not currently have protective screens, there would be sig- nificant costs in- volved in wide- spread installation. A Welsh Govern- ment spokeswoman said: “We are in dis- cussion with the Welsh Local Govern- ment Association and other partners about this and we intend to issue guid- ance to assist taxi and private hire operators.”
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