Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, rideshare and taxi drivers have been at the most risk as they have to interact with dozens of people on a daily basis. We have observed cases where drivers came in contact with passengers suspected of carrying COVID-19.
This has left a lot of Uber and Lyft drivers feeling extremely insecure and concerned about how to protect themselves from the contagious disease. Many Uber, Lyft, and other taxi drivers have come up with new strategies to eliminate the threat of infections and keep themselves and their passengers safe and protected. Some of these measures include installing rideshare sneeze guards, maintaining a safe distance between driver and passengers, keeping sanitizers in the vehicles, installing devices to measure the body temperature of passengers, and a few more.
Guidance for Rideshare and Taxi Drivers
The health care agencies understand the risk taxi drivers have as well as the loss of business for taxis during the COVID-19 pandemic times. The concerned departments have rolled out some guidelines for taxi drivers to protect themselves and their passengers against COVID-19.
Keep yourself and your passengers protected
There are a number of things that drivers can do to ensure safety and protection. Here are a few of the precautionary steps.
- Keep alcohol rich sanitizers in the cab all the time. Also, keep hand sanitizers on the back seat and request riders to sanitize their hands for at least 20 seconds.
- Wear a cloth face covering or an N95 mask if available. It is wise to put on the mask all the time as well as request your passengers to wear masks before they enter your vehicle.
- Disinfect your car on a regular basis. Use an approved disinfectant and pay close attention to surfaces that are touched often by passengers.
- Always keep tissue papers and handkerchiefs in the back seat of the car and request passengers to use tissues when they cough or sneeze. Don’t forget to throw tissues in the trash and then wash your hands.
Maintain Social Distancing
Health agencies recommend that everyone maintain physical distance from others as the virus can easily transmit with exposure to respiratory droplets produced by coughing and sneezing. In order to ensure physical distancing taxi-drivers can take the following measures:
- Request passengers to sit in the backseat.
- Wear disposable gloves.
- Print and post useful information for passengers in your backseat.
- Avoid handshakes with passengers and also request passengers to pay via credit or debit cards to ensure minimal contact.
- Air conditioning must be used only for external flow and not recirculate the air, otherwise, it’s wise to keep the windows open.
Rideshare Protective Barrier by Blink Brands
Since the virus is airborne, the best way to minimize the risk is by limiting the exposure to respiratory droplets produced by another person’s breathing, coughing, or sneezing. Drivers can consider installing protective barriers in cars and keep COVID 19 safety products with them all the time. These transparent barriers will act as a sneeze guard and will restrict the airflow. Order you rideshare safety screen here or Call: 877-433-4466