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DART conducts enhanced cleaning on trains, buses amid coronavirus concerns
Dallas Area Rapid Transit held a meeting to discuss its preparations for the eventual spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
DALLAS - Dallas Area Rapid Transit held a meeting to discuss its preparations for the eventual spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Crews have already started enhanced cleaning in all of DART's trains and busses.
Every day, some 215,000 people ride the DART system across parts of North Texas.
The transit agency announced Tuesday that it is now cleaning its trains and busses twice daily as a direct result of the coronavirus.
With the first presumptive positive case of the coronavirus reported in Dallas County on Tuesday, people taking public transportation are worried about their health and careful where they touch.
DART began on Monday implementing enhanced cleaning protocol of all its platform, trains and busses.
“Especially all of the high-touch areas. Handrails buttons to open the doors, hanger straps, anywhere someone might have the opportunity to touch,” said Gordon Shattles with DART.
Shattles says cleaning crews are using an EPA-certified solution to clean all 163 light rail trains and some 600 busses. Waiting areas at every stop are also wiped down and sanitized.
“We're prepared if it becomes a bigger issue to enhance that further,” Shattles said.
Eric Tomlinson just moved to Dallas from California. He's testing out the DART system and is relieved to hear deep cleanings are now taking place.
“I'm in healthcare. And coming from California, we've had our first cases of coronavirus,” he said. “So I think any precautions we can take is smart.”
Shattles says keeping DART's 1,600 operators healthy is also top of mind. DART staff briefed its committee Tuesday on their COVID-19 preparedness plan.
DART operators are also being given gloves and hand sanitizer. If a train or bus is believed to become contaminated, it will be taken out of service.