Dubai: Ever wondered how public transport in Dubai are cleaned and sanitised daily as part of precautionary measures against novel coronavirus (COVID-19)?
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) shared with Gulf News how the Dubai Metro, the world’s longest self-driving metro network; public buses, taxis and marine transport are spruced up before taking passengers.
A large contingent of around 1,000 workers are conducting extensive cleaning and sterilisation campaign to guarantee a safe journey to around 1.5 million riders daily.
“We are committed to taking sanitary and preventive measures in the intensive cleaning and sanitization operations of various means of transportation in accordance with the highest standards followed internationally, on a daily basis to maintain the health and safety of those who travel,” the RTA told Gulf News.
Here is the lowdown on how vehicles are washed, interiors are cleaned, seats fumigated, floors mopped, and seats are scrubbed while doors, railings, hand rails, arm rest, ceiling and every nook and cranny of the public vehicles are sanitised.
Dubai Metro
- 1am until 5am – this is when intensive cleaning and sanitisation of all trains and stations happen
- 79 trains and 47 stations are cleaned daily
- Over 700 workers, divided into teams, are deployed to various stations
- 3 hours and 45 workers are required to complete the internal cleaning procedures as well as intensive sanitisation of each Metro cart
- A team cleans the facilities of the stations 24 hours a day.
- The exterior of the metro is cleaned automatically first then the manual internal cleaning and intensive sanitisation is done by a professional team.
- During working hours, trains are cleaned every time the train completes a full journey from Al Rashidiya Station to the UAE Exchange Metro Station, where a specialised team performs cleaning and sanitisation procedures before the return trip.
Buses
- 1,500 buses are cleaned and sterilised daily at five bus depots
- 5 to 7 minutes is the average washing time, depending on the size of the bus
- 210 workers are involved in the intensive cleaning and sanitisation
- Bus cleaning operations of all sizes start daily from 9pm until 6am.
- All buses are subject to cleaning and sanitisation according to international controls and standards
- Disinfectant fogging is carried out, which includes medical-grade chemical inside the buses.
- Sanitisers are installed across all public transport buses and bus stations.
- The latest sterile materials are used to ensure the elimination of all types of bacteria and viruses inside the bus, and to obtain the highest levels of protection in the seats and bus handles and its internal facilities.
- A supervisory team is present at the site to ensure that all stages of cleaning are completed with high accuracy and quality so that the bus is ready for use.
Taxis
- Over 10,000 taxis are disinfected daily
- Each taxi takes around 10 minutes for disinfection
- Random hygiene tests are conducted to assess the contamination levels
- All drivers have been given awareness to follow strict precautions on personal hygiene, including proper hand wash procedures and provision of portable sanitiser
- All companies operating smart rentals confirmed sanitation of vehicles
Marine transport
- The RTA has stepped up the daily disinfection of its marine vessels and stations, which includes deep cleaning and fogging using medical grade products. Awareness workshops are conducted for customer service agents and supervisors.
The RTA has also advised all commuters to follow the health and safety guidelines prescribed by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention and the World Health Organisation
