The mobility industry is responding to the Virus: Berlin buses are open only at the rear, the track cleans more often. What is important is what each Individual does.

“personal Hygiene is more effective to clean than trains to” photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA/imago images

BERLIN taz | To work, to shop, to school: Bus and train are, for many, indispensable. Already is in many places apparent, that less people want to expose themselves to the risk, with the Corona-Virus infection: The public Transport are more spacious, it’s not as full as usual. But not everyone can do.

a Lot of mobility, companies are working on the Problem: Starting this Thursday morning, passengers in Berlin can no longer get in so until further notice at the front door of the buses. “We want to avoid the contact of the ticket purchase and currency exchange as well as smoother entry and exit,” said Petra cloves, spokeswoman of the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG).

“This is good for the driver and passengers. We all, all of Berlin, in need of our bus drivers.“ The Problem: The vehicle’s leaders could not wash the hands. Even if you can’t buy a ticket more in the Bus, stick the ticket requirements, emphasizing the BVG.

“The Bus takes you of course, but after a couple of days around the Yes, There are a the electronic Ticket or you can buy it at the switch,” says clove. Further measures are currently being considered. “Of course, I can disinfect a Bus, but then no one can get in. That would be a false security,“ she says. Buses and trains in Berlin would be further cleaned in the normal cycles. Likewise, it hold already the transport associations in Hamburg, Cologne and Munich.

The umbrella organisation of the London transport announced already on Tuesday to clean its trains, buses and stations enhanced and disinfect. Also the Deutsche Bahn responded. A spokesman said: “In our trains, we have shortened since several days, the cleaning intervals.” So would particularly contact such as door handles, grab handles, or Luggage racks surfaces are often cleaned and also disinfected. “We use everything we have.” Step should be transport trains on the road now instead of all four every two hours, cleaned, the railway is also on their website. To do this, she wanted to adjust in the next few weeks, additional staff.

hygiene expert John dress pus from Klinikum Bielefeld does not consider such measures for the first choice: “infection protection starts from the Individual. Personal Hygiene is more effective to clean than trains.“ Is more important for him, during the journey, the cough etiquette. Talk into the crook of your arm cough or sneeze, and wash hands after Bus or rail travel.

Nevertheless: “the higher the viral load, the higher the risk of Infection is. More frequent cleanings are an effective measure,“ says hygiene expert. How often exactly should be cleaned, in order to reduce the risk of infection, don’t know dress pus also. To do this, there is no scientific studies.

Who wants to inform themselves exactly of the Deutsche Bahn as well as many transport companies will inform on their websites about personal protection measures, or travel in high-risk countries such as Italy.