Social Distance Measure in Metro and Tramways

Within the scope of the measures taken due to the coronavirus outbreak, information labels were placed to protect the social distance in the subways and trams.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) subsidiaries in Turkey's largest city Istanbul Metro rail operators, the measures taken against coronavirus has added a new one.

Leaving a seat empty and directing it to sit…

The company, which started to work in disinfection at stations and vehicles while there was no case in our country, placed labels on the seats in the subways and trams in order to remind its passengers to maintain social distance during travel. On the labels where the passengers are directed to sit, leaving one seat empty, “Protect your social distance! Leave this seat empty! ” The warning is included.

The occupancy rate of trains is around 20-25 percent

Özgür Soy, General Manager of Metro Istanbul, said that they initiated the label information application to remind passengers of their seats by leaving a seat space while maintaining the social distance to reduce the risk of a possible contamination. Giving information that they keep the total occupancy of the trains below a certain level, Özgür Soy said, “Currently, the occupancy of the trains is about 20-25 percent. We maintain this rate so that we can help people maintain social distance. ”

Passenger density reduced by 90 percent

General Manager Soy, who visited the stations and trains, gave the following information in his statement at Taksim station: “We are at Taksim station and this is one of our busiest stations. It is now 17:42. Normally around 1 passengers move within 5000 hour at this time. Currently this number has gone down to 500. Although the passenger density has decreased by 90 percent, we have reduced between 15 and 20 percent compared to the lines, but the trains that are at the 95 percent currently serve with a 20 percent occupancy rate. We try to ensure that our people travel comfortably and safely. ”

Nearly 90 percent decrease in the number of passengers…

The number of passengers dropped around 2 percent in the metro and trams carrying more than 90 million passengers a day due to the fact that Istanbulites did not go out without compulsion. The decrease in the number of passengers allows to maintain social distance within the vehicles.

The measures taken by Metro Istanbul for the coronavirus epidemic so far are as follows:

• All kinds of equipment and surfaces contacted by passengers and employees were disinfected with 30 days of effective disinfectant, including the turnstiles, ticket machines, elevators, escalators, escalators, fixed stair handrails and seating areas in the interior areas of all vehicles and stations. The disinfectant used was applied with the fogging method and contains anti-allergen and anti-microbial substances that do not harm human health.
• Action plans and Covid-19 applications of domestic and international public transportation companies were examined and current practices were evaluated.
• In order to reduce the psychological pressure on the passengers and to inform them correctly, films and images related to disinfection and cleaning works were prepared. These works were shared from digital screens and social media accounts in vehicles and stations.
• Masks were started to be provided for passengers who were disturbed during the journey, needed to go to the health institution or who requested health support.
• Despite the decreases in the number of passengers, it was decided to continue the flights in a way that does not make victims passengers in accordance with the IMM decisions.
• Until a second decision, the Night Metro flights were suspended.
• The cable car lines TF90 Maçka-Taşkışla and TF1 Eyüp-Piyer Loti, which are mostly used for touristic travel and have a 2% decrease in passenger numbers, were temporarily closed.
• The decision on the free use of public transportation vehicles by healthcare professionals was put into practice.
• In order to warn passengers on “Protect Your Social Distance” in rail system vehicles, the stickers with the warning of sitting are started to be applied to the vehicles.