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Using cab services was a regular part of our life until the pandemic hit. But now, we have become increasingly precautious when using public areas, which includes travelling by cab. While many taxi services claim to take safety precautions like sanitizing their car before each ride, fumigation of the car every 48 hours, we can never be too certain of how effective and efficient these safety measures really are. Are all the surfaces completely disinfected and safe? Having considered these concerns, we have curated a list of all the precautionary measures we take when travelling in cabs. Follow these simple tips for a safe cab journey.
1) Ensure Everyone Wears A Mask
This goes for you and the driver. Experience has taught us that wearing a face mask in closed spaces is extremely critical. This is because viruses and germs can spread through respiratory droplets. So, if someone sneezes or coughs without a mask on their face, then the risk of catching an infection increases manifold. We suggest that before entering the cab, check if your driver is wearing a mask. That’s what we do. You shouldn’t shy away from cancelling your ride or politely asking your driver to wear a mask if he/she isn’t wearing one. Make sure you too keep your mask on for the entire duration of the trip. Also, remember to clean your mask daily after use.
2) Maintain Distance from the Driver
On our recent cab trips, we have tried our best to maintain social distancing vis-a-vis the driver. Some precautions we take include sitting as far as possible from him/her. Avoid sitting in the front seat, and instead opt for the rear one, diagonally across the driver. We also recommend refraining from sharing rides with strangers during cab travel in the pandemic as they could potentially be carriers of viruses and germs.
3) Disinfect High-Touch Surfaces
There are some surfaces in a cab that you just cannot avoid touching during your travel. These surfaces include door handles, car seats, seat belts, head rests etc. Unfortunately, all these surfaces are not only touched by you, but by multiple people, several times a day. These high-touch surfaces could have germs and viruses on them that may have been transmitted by any of the former passengers.
This is why we suggest using Nature Protect’s On-The-Go Disinfectant Spray on these surfaces. Since it is portable, we’ve found it to be quite convenient as an on-the-go natural disinfectant for both hard and soft surfaces. For us, one of the biggest advantages of using this disinfectant is that no water or soap is needed for cleaning a surface/object. Another reason we recommend using this spray is because it is made of natural ingredients like Neem, Aloe Vera and Tulsi extracts. The spray also has over 60% alcohol content, which we have read on CDC’s website, is enough to kill viruses. We’re also aware that Neem has antibacterial properties, which makes it a powerful ingredient in disinfecting surfaces. Like us, you’ll love the pleasant fresh fragrance it leaves behind after use.
4) Roll Down Your Windows
Spending even a short amount of time in a closed space without air movement increases the risk of infection greatly. Thus, we should try and avoid stagnant airflow. Asking the driver to lower the windows as soon as you get into the taxi will ensure fresh air flow. As passengers, we always make sure that air is circulating within the car with the windows down throughout the duration of the ride. When rolling down the windows, we always disinfect the window button with a surface disinfectant spray before touching it.
5) Use Contactless Payment Methods
We usually make it a point to pay in advance or opt for contactless payment while travelling by cab. It is best to avoid using cash whenever possible. This keeps the interaction between you and the driver minimal. However, if you can only use cash, then try and carry the exact amount and sanitise your hands immediately after receiving and putting away the change.
6) Wash Clothes and Disinfect Other Items Once Home
Once you are back home, disinfect all the items that went along with you in the cab, such as your bag, shoes, wallet, keys and phone. For us, Nature Protect’s On-The-Go Disinfectant Spray has proven to be ideal for this – since it is portable and can be used to disinfect various types of surfaces and objects. Just follow the instructions on the pack to understand how to use it. Besides the various items, you also need to wash and sanitize your clothes the right way!
These are some simple measures that you can take to stay protected during the pandemic as you resume travelling by cabs.
