With the government’s advice on face coverings continuously updating, it can be confusing. Do taxi drivers and passengers need to wear face-coverings while travelling and what other precautions should be taken to keep safe during a fare? At Cab Direct we’re here to help makes things clearer for you as a hackney taxi or private hire taxi driver.
How to Travel Safely in a Taxi
We all know the rules from the government includes staying socially distanced, washing your hands regularly and wearing a face covering but how does that work when travelling in a taxi? The DfT believes that taxi operators should be responsible for their own risk assessments to ensure drivers can carry out their role in a safe environment. The elements to consider are:
- Passengers must wear a face covering but as a driver it also makes sense to protect yourself and others.
- All taxis should be thoroughly cleaned between journeys, concentrating on touchpoints like door handles.
- Drivers should ensure some windows are open for ventilation.
- When possible, drivers should stop and wash their hands for at least 20 seconds after completing their journey and use a hand sanitiser regularly when hand washing is not an option.
Seating Recommendations
The benefits of hackney taxis are that the driver is protected from the rear compartment by a taxi screen and the passenger cabin is spacious enough to allow social distancing, but what should you do in a standard taxi?
Passengers should ideally sit as far away from the driver as possible – for a single passenger the ideal travelling spot would be the far left–hand side of the vehicle. The front seat should be kept free of passengers whenever possible.
Drivers should ensure all passengers have face coverings and that they take them away with them. Either party has the right to cancel the ride if face coverings are not worn. Don’t forget when asking v to wear a mask that certain people are exempt, for example, children under 11 (under 5 in Scotland) and those with certain medical conditions. Contactless payment also helps reduce the number of touchpoints you have. You may also wish to consider installing a taxi screen to protect yourself from the rear of the vehicle – these are being offered by some manufacturers and are funded by certain councils.
Allied PPE
During the Coronavirus pandemic, our Cab Direct chairman and founder, Gerry Facenna, was approached by the Scottish Government to support them on the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as face masks and surgical gloves. With Gerry’s worldwide connections he was able to secure large quantities of high-quality PPE at good prices and we have now launched Allied PPE. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss how we can help supply your company with face masks or gloves.
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