Coronavirus: UAE issues safety guidelines when using public transport

Anyone taking a taxi should sit in the back seat and avoid touching surfaces

Anyone using public transport should keep a safe distance from other passengers and avoid touching surfaces, authorities have said.

Those riding a taxi should always sit in the back seat.

Plastic screens to separate the driver and passengers will remain in place.

The UAE is slowly returning to normal life after businesses were shut and services suspended for several weeks to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

But people have been urged to take extra precautions to protect themselves when venturing out.

Officials have now issued advice for using public transport.

“While riding a taxi, leave a safe distance between you and the driver,” said a video, which has been released on the state news agency Wam.

“Do not sit on the front seat.”

People should also wear masks and avoid touching surfaces when they travel in a taxi, bus or the metro.

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  Waitress at Vanitas, Nina Manalo wears a branded mask at the Palazzo Versace hotel, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  A man shields his face from the sun on a hot day in Al Barsha, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  A woman walks through the disinfection booth at the Palazzo Versace hotel, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  The entrance to Vanitas at the Palazzo Versace hotel, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  A man wearing a face mask walks across an open space of land in Al Barsha, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Duncan Gichana & Luliia Sliusar at the Mosaico lobby lounge in the Palazzo Versace hotel, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  A man sits by Dubai Creek on Baniyas road in Deira. Reem Mohammed / The National

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  A man walking in Al Sabkha in Dubai. Reem Mohammed / The National

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  A man wearing a face mask in Al Sabkha, Dubai. Reem Mohammed/The National

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  Information desk at the new Covid-19 prime assessment centre in ADNEC, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Passengers should also avoid touching their face without cleaning their hands with sanitiser and keep the window open to let the air flow.

Cash transactions should be avoided and commuters should not take a taxi or bus with many passengers, officials said.

Last week, the authorities announced that passengers can also make contactless payments for taxi rides in the capital.

The payments can be made by downloading the Abu Dhabi Taxi app, which is available on Apple Store and Google Play.

Passengers need to create an account and provide credit card details, which are saved for future taxi journeys.

Once the trip is over, passengers can make the payment through the app without any need to interact with the driver.

An Integrated Transport Centre representative said the move was in line with the organisation’s efforts to improve the level of service and minimise human interaction to limit the spread of the virus.

The centre manages public transport in the emirate.

In Dubai, passengers can book Roads and Transport Authority taxis directly through the Careem app.

At the end of the journey, the fare will be automatically deducted from the passenger’s debit or credit card.