Coronavirus Advice to Customers of Private Hire Vehicles in London
Stop Shaking Hands with our London Chauffeurs!
We don’t want to alarm anyone, especially our clients, but we all need to be cautious of the dangers of coronavirus. Practicing good hygiene - more than we normally would, is an important step towards prevention.
So we thought we’d put together some best practice advice for all users of private hire vehicles in London and all over the world.
The most effective hand sanitisers contain a minimum of 60% alcohol
Stop shaking the chauffeur’s hand. If you absolutely have to, practice good hygiene by using a hand sanitiser afterwards!
Do not eat any sweets/food on offer in a vehicle and only drink bottled water from a sealed bottle (check the best before date)
The chauffeur will usually have hand sanitiser available in the vehicle, but it’s always handy to keep your own small bottle with you at all times. Use regularly
Keep a window slightly open for fresh air to enter the cabin. When travelling at higher speeds, ensure the air-conditioning is NOT recirculating (please ask the chauffeur)
The chauffeur will usually have a box of tissues available in the back of the vehicle for you to catch coughs/sneezes etc, but it would help if you carried a small packet of your own, just in case
We suggest always sitting on the back seat, to avoid close proximity to the chauffeur - both for your safety and the chauffeur’s
After touching any area inside/outside the vehicle, such as door handles, grab handles, vanity mirrors etc, ensure you use a hand sanitiser immediately afterwards
Never touch your eyes, nose or mouth area unless you are sure your hands are sanitised. Even then, it is recommended not to, unless you are in a safe and clean environment, such as at home
Nothing can replace a good old-fashioned scrub of the hands with soap and water! When you are near a sink, always opt to wash your hands. Using hand sanitiser is the next best thing
We have already taken precautions and have been following the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation, the NHS, Public Health England, as well as TfL. Some of these include wiping down any area a client may touch with an anti-bacterial cloth, before and after each booking, paying special attention to the door handles, headrest, armrest and the back of the front seats. This is done using disposable/recyclable gloves.
We have been following these guidlines for many years. However, lately, we have been performing them more often. This can only be a good thing.
We will continue to keep our clients and chauffeurs safe by updating them directly.
As always, if you have any concerns, or are feeling unwell, especially if you have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing, please remain isolated and call 111 in the UK to seek medical advice.