Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in public areas is paramount, especially in public transport vehicles, such as buses, trains, trams and taxis, where passengers continuously share confined spaces, frequently touched surfaces, and common seating areas. In a recent 2023 study, 47% of UK-based adults have concerns surrounding germs on public transport, with 1 in 5 saying they still prefer wearing masks on all forms of public transport. With the recent spike in the global COVID-19 virus, it’s no surprise that people are reluctant to use public transport and continue to take precautions, including wearing masks in public vehicles.
In this guide, we’ll provide insightful information on the importance of maintaining cleanliness in public transport vehicles, detail effective cleaning processes and provide expert product recommendations to equip operators and maintenance staff with the essential tools and skills to ensure the highest standards of hygiene for passengers.
Why Cleaning Public Transportation Vehicles Matters
An unclean public transport vehicle can be a huge deterrent and can prevent people from using public services. Brand reputations can also suffer when passengers leave negative reviews on social media, which can highly influence the opinions of other potential customers. Word of mouth and personal recommendations play a crucial role in how consumers choose and utilise services, making it essential not to overlook even a single negative review. Below are just a few of the consequences of not maintaining public transport vehicles.
Drop in passenger numbers
Passengers will lose confidence in a public transport vehicle such as bus or train that has a reputation for uncleanliness and will avoid using the services. Subsequently, causing the number of passengers using the public transport system to drop.
Decreased employee morale
If companies are not doing enough to ensure employees have a clean and hygienic working environment, they can run the risk of contributing towards low employee morale and well-being. Employees may become reluctant to come to work, and poor workplace conditions can potentially lead to increased illness and absenteeism.
Negative brand appearance
On top of keeping passengers and employees safe and happy, it is also important to ensure the outer appearance of the public transport is well maintained. First impressions always matter, and if people see a dirty and unkept bus driving around their city, it can significantly alter their perception of the brand and the services they offer.
How to Maintain and Clean a Public Transit Vehicle
Each company should have their own preferred method and process for effective cleaning in place, but sometimes, the key essentials need to be remembered or noticed. To address this, we have compiled top tips to help ensure all areas are properly maintained.
1: Create a daily checklist
A daily checklist would be beneficial for employees and cleaners to ensure the essential areas are clean and ready for passenger use. This list may include sanitising the following areas:
- All hard surfaces
- Steering wheel
- Handrails
- Switches and controls
- Seats
- Tables
- Bell buttons
- Window ledges
2: Create a weekly checklist
All public transit vehicles should be thoroughly cleaned every week. Buses, trams, trains and taxis can accumulate dirt on the outside from the road and also on the inside from passengers. Washing the fleet every week can keep vehicles looking clean. Interiors should be vacuumed, seats should be deep cleaned and all other areas should be disinfected correctly.
3: Use cleaning chemicals effectively
It’s important to ensure staff have adequate training on chemical use and clearly understand the risks of hazardous substances and how to take precautions to stay safe.
4: Encourage hygiene practices
A few ways to encourage all employees and passengers to abide by hygiene practices is to ensure everyone has access to convenient waste bins that are regularly emptied, provide hand sanitiser stations and use health and safety posters inside the vehicles to raise awareness and promote a clean and healthy environment.
Essential Tools and Supplies for Public Transport Cleaning
Effective transport vehicle cleaning begins with the right tools and products. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Disinfectants: Disinfectant cleaners such as the Taski Degragerm SmartDose are ideal for cleaning and disinfecting all hard surfaces and floors.
- Window cleaning products: The Cif Professional Window Cleaner is a great choice for all windows, mirrors and windscreens.
- Graffiti remover: Graffiti can be a common problem on public vehicles, so using the Ultra Grime Pro XXL+ Xtreme Graffiti Wipes alongside the D-Solve Graffiti Remover Aerosol, can rapidly dissolve and break up all forms of graffiti.
- Vacuum cleaner: Use the Numatic Vacuum Cleaner VNR200 to remove dust, crumbs, and debris.
- Microfibre cloths: These high-quality Heavyweight Knitted Microfibre Cloths are ideal for quick and effective cleaning. Designed for both wet and dry use across almost any surface.
How to Tackle the Chewing Gum Problem
Chewing gum stuck to floors and seats is a common problem on public vehicles. In recent research, The London Underground estimates that its suppliers spend around £2m per annum on removing chewing gum from their trains and stations. Littered chewing gum is unsightly and can be challenging to remove if you don’t have the right tools. At Nobisco, we understand the detrimental impact chewing gum can have on brand appearance and reputation, so we offer a range of products and tools to help businesses effectively address this issue.
|
Products for removing chewing gum:
Tools for removing chewing gum: |
|
Enhance Passenger Health, Safety and Brand Reputation Through Rigorous Vehicle Hygiene
Cleaning and maintaining public transport vehicles is not just about keeping up appearances; it’s a priority for ensuring the health and safety of passengers and employees. A clean and hygienic bus or train promotes healthy living and will help to rebuild the trust of passengers who have lost confidence in using public transportation. By implementing these tips and guidelines, you can create a pleasant travel experience for passengers and improve the brand’s reputation. For more information or product recommendations, please get in touch with our team.
