Companies providing commercial passenger vehicles have been encouraged by the government to follow strict sanitary rules. Every vehicle must follow a full sanitization routine in between two pick ups and the ‘pilot zone’ including frequently touched surfaces like steering wheel, gear stick, door locks and rear-view mirrors must be sanitized as often as possible. Taxi and cab drivers are repeatedly being advised to keep hydrated and are given flexibility to cancel a ride if their health seems to falter even slightly.
Here are 10 steps to follow for sure prevention against the contagious Corona virus while traveling in cabs and taxis!
We know it’s hard to keep explaining that you’ve got to be out to pick up some groceries, or the last file of your daily medicine was finished last night! We understand the pressure of validating every response to daily life during such trying times. But it is essential to prioritize some chores over others to prevent the COVID-19 infection. Gatherings have been limited and public places are under strict vigilance to break off the possibility of crowding. But the times are quite uncertain to take things loosely and it is our collective responsibility to fight the disease.
Read on for some additional safety obligations you must follow to do your bit!
Public transport remains the more iffy cue to whether or not fellow Australians should travel together all the while maintaining safety protocols. Avoiding the possible hazards has raised the demands for commercial rideshare vehicles, secured for personal space and comfort.
Government encourages all the companies providing commercial passenger vehicles to follow strict sanitary rules. It is best to fully sanitize vehicles between two pick ups. This also includes the ‘pilot zone’, frequently touched surfaces like steering wheel, gear stick, door locks and rear-view mirrors. It is advised to taxi and rideshare drivers to keep drinking more and more water. They can even cancel a ride if their health seems to falter even slightly.
Here are 10 steps to follow for sure prevention against the contagious Corona virus while traveling in cabs and taxis:
1. Politely offer to sit in the back-seat. Remember the one meter rule which facilitates raising of safety standards over all.
2. Sanitize your hands right after fastening the seat-belt since it is touched quite often.
3. Finish off with contactless payment through the respective QR code of the company. Transactions in cash pose greater threat of infection through contact.
4. Carry a spare mask and drinking water, hydration is an important routine check.
5. Assess your own health before considering the importance of traveling.
6. Compare local taxi and rideshare options, prefer which ever is seems more hygienic.
7. Avoid a suffocative environment, turn off air conditioning and open up the windows.
8. Wash your hands as soon as you are off the ride.
9. Refrain from touching your nose or eyes right after direct contact with the door handle.
10. If you have to journey for on a longer route carry additional protective equipment which are safely disposable like gloves and hair caps.
The Victorian Government QR code service
Government of Victoria’s free QR code service encourages every business establishment including clubs, restaurants, even managements, personal care services and rideshare services to use the facility and help trace possible cases of the virus.
The app helps in record keeping for contact tracing and maintenance of a real-time database of people availing the services and the amount of time they are exposed to interactions with others. This facilitates the freedom and ease of the citizens to access a safe and open state of Victoria. To know more about the amazing services included in the app head on to the official website of coronavirus updates in Victoria, get to know how the app works, more about the information it collects and why, how it helps your business flourish even during a pandemic!
The recent outbreak of the mysterious new variant of covid-19 had been keeping officials in a worry but thanks to its rapid undertaking by the health-care system the government of Australia has tackled off the risks and curbed the spread.
What do health experts have to say?
This is an Indian variant of the virus. It started spreading from New South Wales to a few of its localities on May 4th. The ‘proportionate response to the risk’, according to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, includes restrictions of household gatherings to twenty guests, limited aged care facility visitors to two people per resident, mandatory use of masks at public transports as well as at indoor venues. Sydney and the city’s neighbouring regions will also follow these measures, with immediate affect, lasting at least until Monday.
source: (NDTV)
However citizens have been asking (for good) what might be the possible outcomes of these measures on daily travel and whether at all some travel restrictions will follow the initial ban on flights off to and coming in from India. The federal government has taken all possible steps to secure citizen’s health and welfare without any restrains on public, private or shared vehicles. One of which are ride-share services like Uber, Lyft or local taxis.
Since the average industry growth has been around 40% from 2015 to 2020 it is evidently a widely accessed commuting resource. Post-covid people have in fact taken to calling up an Uber as a safer step than using the public transport system to avoid crowding.
How the Government is helping
Public hazard assessment experts and health professionals have joined in from Victoria, Sydney and Melbourne to prevent any further spread of the virus. They are advising citizens to keep indoors as much as possible without commuting in closed vehicles for too long.
The government is publicizing several safety pointers such as these to help support passengers and gig workers in the ride-share market in these trying times. As a responsible approach to support these measures it is important for everyone to remain updated with the latest protocols.
Ride-share partners and taxi drivers can get verified latest information regarding COVID-19 related transport and motoring services impact on qld.gov.au to further assure their health, safety and welfare.
