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    1. Safety & Security
    2. Safety Services & Products

    Plymouth Metrolink installs air cleaning technology to protect drivers from COVID-19

    Sept. 30, 2020
    AirLabs’ AirBubbl air cleaning devices were installed in 100 percent of the agency’s buses to help reduce the risk of airborne transmission.
    Related To: AirLabs

    Plymouth Metrolink has installed Airlabs’ AirBubbl across its entire bus fleet to help protect drivers from the risk of airborne transmission of COVID-19. 

    The AirBubble is an air cleaning device located in the driver section of buses that filters more than 95 percent of airborne viruses and contaminated particulate matter and floods the vehicle with more than 30,000 liters of clean air every hour. 

    AirLabs is now finalizing a new air cleaning device for the passenger cabins of public transportation, including bus and rail. AirLabs AiroSafe is designed to remove airborne virus particles from the passenger cabins of public transport by creating a personal clean air zone for every seat. 

    The company says it aims to install the first AiroSafe units by the end of this year and is setting up a Public Transport Consortium to work with bus and rail operators to bring it to market. 

    The company says AirBubbl and AiroSafe can play a role in getting passengers back into work and school, reducing the risk of airborne transmission of coronavirus on mass transit.  

    “As stay-at-home orders have eased across the U.S., the focus now shifts to how we can get back to business safely,” said Marc Ottolini, CEO, Airlabs. “There is clear evidence that this virus can be transmitted through the air and that the dose matters - more exposure can lead to more severe illness. Our air cleaning technology can massively reduce this dose and cut the risk of infection for drivers and, soon, passengers.”  

    The AirBubbl devices have been installed as part of a range of measures implemented by Plymouth Metrolink to protect drivers and passengers throughout the pandemic, including temperature checks and evaluations for drivers, additional disinfecting measures for buses, fewer passengers and a requirement for everyone to wear masks. 

    “Throughout the pandemic, Plymouth Metrolink has implemented a range of safety measures across the system to keep rider safety at the forefront,” said Nur Kasin, transit administrator, city of Plymouth. “Metrolink safety measures include installing additional cabin air filtration in the driver section of all of our buses - healthy drivers means healthy passengers.”