Arriva, FirstGroup and National Express buses will be fitted with advanced air filtration technology to aid public transport’s recovery from Covid-19, following the creation of a new partnership.
AirLabs, air quality management company, and 21st Century Fleet Systems, part of Journeo, have announced an exclusive partnership to ramp up the deployment of the AirBubbl air filtration devices on 21st Century’s portfolio, which includes the UK’s largest transport operators such the Go-Ahead Group.
According to the collaboration, the device has been scientifically proven to remove more than 99% of airborne viruses and contaminated particulate matter. It can be deployed in public transport vehicles to remove airborne coronavirus particles and air pollution, protecting passengers and drivers.
The partnership added that advanced air filtration technology, such as the AirBubbl, is a crucial element in getting passengers back into work and school safely, by reducing the risk of airborne transmission of coronavirus on mass transit.
Airborne coronavirus transmission has been recognised as a key route of infection by the World Health and Centre for Disease Control and Prevention who both recently updated their guidance on the airborne threat of coronavirus following growing evidence of transmission via coronavirus particles suspended in air.
AirBubbl has been designed to flood the vehicle with over 37,000 litres of clean air every hour, creating a clean air breathing zone for both drivers and passengers.
Mark Johnson, director of fleet systems at Journeo, said: “We’ve seen a huge demand from our customers for tried and tested solutions that will help improve customer confidence in public transport and get the industry back on track as it recovers from the pandemic.
“We have chosen to add the AirBubbl to our portfolio of in-vehicle technology solutions, to provide our customers with scientifically proven technology that they can trust.”
As previously reported by CiTTi, Longleat Safari Park installed the Air Labs air-cleaning technology on its visitor buses when the site fully reopened to the public in May. As part of this latest agreement it will also be added to regional operators such as Sullivan Buses and social enterprise groups such as the HCT Group.
