In a press release, RTA said that staff will clean all touchable surfaces on board its vehicles with a cleaning agent recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Buses, which carry a vast majority of the system’s riders (85 percent), will be sanitized at least once per day day. Rail cars will be sanitized every 72 hours.
“We want our riders to know that we will clean every bus, every day and that it’s safe to ride RTA,” said the transit agency’s CEO and GM India Birdsong, in a statement provided to the media. “Our mission is to provide safe, reliable, clean and courteous public transportation. With the public’s concern of the spread of this virus, we’re pleased to announce that we’re taking this additional step.”
RTA also said that in addition to an internal awareness campaign, they are providing bus and rail operators and other staff with disinfectant wipes to clean their work areas throughout the day.
Birdsong noted that there are, as yet, no confirmed cases of the virus in Ohio and that these measures are precautionary.
“There is no need to panic or be fearful,” she said. “Here in Cleveland, the RTA is following the guidelines issued by the Cleveland Health Department and the CDC that are applicable to this region. Now is the time to take preventative measures, and there are simple methods you can employ to keep yourself and others around you healthy.”
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This article appears in Mar 4-10, 2020.
