Health and sanitisation advice
There is no requirement for a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire driver to be working. It is down to individual drivers to decide whether they are prepared to take the risks associated with providing hackney carriage and private hire services, but we know that taxis and private hire vehicles remain a vital form of transport for many, including going to and from hospitals, GPs and to get household essentials and groceries. However, drivers should not work if they have a new continuous cough and/or high fever and should follow government guidelines on self isolation available online on the government website.
Drivers, proprietors and operators whether self-employed or employees, have responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to both themselves and those who are likely to come into contact with their business. Therefore, we'd like to remind proprietors and drivers that are working, to continue to take all possible precautions to keep themselves and the vehicles as safe and sanitised as is practically possible. The government guidance is to 'frequently clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are touched regularly using standard cleaning products', so it would be pertinent for ensure that some form of frequent cleaning of obvious areas takes place throughout each shift, i.e. door handles, seat belts and buckles and other obvious hard surfaces touched by a passenger, including areas that may have been infected following a passenger coughing or sneezing.