As we enter phase two, many have been left puzzled over the next steps to re-opening businesses and returning to work, however, at Bouden Travel, it was clear what needed to be done.
“The lack of clarity offered by the Government has left the country confused” explained Adel Bouden, Director of Bouden Travel. “The rather contradictory explanation of the phase two measures encouraged people to go back to work if they could, but also to avoid public transport, something that people rely on heavily within the region to commute. Avoiding the use of public transport is only necessary if the operator is not taking the appropriate steps to ensure the safety of passengers and staff. Although we cannot speak for other operators, we have come up with our own measures to ensure that when people travel with us, they can be confident that they are protected”.
Bouden Coach Travel have always taken great pride in the cleanliness of their vehicles and for many years have enforced a deep clean policy. In short, they run a 24-hour cleaning operation behind the scenes and vehicles are fully valeted between every job. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have ramped up their cleaning operations as well as investing in the latest technology with no expense spared.
“We now have chemical fogging equipment on site which is used to fumigate vehicles on their arrival back to base. This is not only antibacterial but also kills all germs and viruses which could be left behind by passengers” explains Andrew Jones, workshop manager. “Cleaners are provided with the appropriate PPE which includes a full body suit, gloves and masks to ensure that they do not breathe in any of the fog. We have also used this in in the offices too so that staff can feel safe returning to work”.
Bouden Coach Travel understand that safety during this pandemic does not stop with the cleaning, which is why they have implemented further measures, rules, and restrictions for travel on their vehicles.
“It became clear to us in the beginning of lockdown that the support and guidance available to us would be limited and so myself and the director discussed at length the various different scenarios and how we could minimize the risk of transmission for both our workforce and our passengers” explains Sophie Baugh, Sales and Operations Manager for Bouden Travel. “As the named transport manager for the company, it was clear to me that we would need to take responsibility and impose new procedures and regulations within our organisation so that our message could be clear even when the Governments messages were not”.
1. Social Distancing measures have been put in place on all coaches with a capacity reduction of 30%. In addition to this, the first two rows behind the driver seat will are unavailable to the public to ensure a 2-metre space between driver and passengers.
2. Drivers are supplied with PPE including masks and gloves and on high risk transfers such as repatriation transport, they will wear full body suits.
3. Face masks must be worn by passengers during travel to reduce the risk of transmission to others. These will be provided to passengers by Bouden Coach Travel.
4. Non-contact thermometers will be used to check passenger temperatures as they board coaches from overseas.
5. Antibacterial hand sanitiser units have been fitted to all coaches and must be used by passengers when boarding the vehicle.
In addition to the above measures, posters are displayed in all vehicles and drivers give a short safety announcement at the start of the trip to ensure passengers are aware of the measures in place. “While gearing up for their return to work, responsible employers need to ensure that their staff are kept as safe as possible and so using a trustworthy travel solution for their staff movement is paramount. That’s where we come in”
