Bus driver praised for 'wonderful' act before allowing passengers on board
A Sydney bus driver is being praised for holding up passengers to complete a vital step before allowing commuters to board amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Yesterday while waiting to catch the bus home from Blacktown station, I was surprised to see my regular bus come early with a ‘not in service’ sign,” a Reddit user wrote on the Sydney forum.
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“The bus driver wouldn't open the door or let any passengers board. Instead, he got out some disinfectant wipes and cleaned every handle, railing and even the Opal card reader, all the way to the end of the bus.”
The author said they were surprised to see the extra cleaning being undertaken but were grateful for anything that could help prevent the spread of COVID-19 on public transport.
“I'm not sure if it's across the board with every bus and driver but I wanted to say how absolutely wonderful to see that some people are dedicated to public health and safety during this coronavirus pandemic,” the user added.
Members of the forums were quick to praise the bus driver for the extra cleaning, helping those who rely on public transport.
“Even in the darkest hour, humanity shines. This makes me proud of our city and our country!” one person wrote.
“Good to know they're doing some extra cleaning now and trying to protect the drivers,” another commented.
Some people used the opportunity to praise drivers on their route who had been seen carrying out extra cleaning.
“Shout out to Transdev Mt Kuring-gai who generally have enough time at Hornsby Interchange to do things like this!” one user wrote.
“The bus I went on today smelled of bleach, blocked off the front Opal reader and the front seat closest to the bus driver too,” another added.
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Transport for NSW confirmed to Yahoo News Australia they have introduced new cleaning standards during the coronavirus outbreak and “for the foreseeable future”.
“This means a daily focus on frequently touched surfaces like handrails and opal card readers using disinfectant recommended by NSW Health,” a spokesperson for Transport for NSW said.
The Transport NSW website also states that to reduce contact, single use opal cards are not for sale on board buses across the state.
The network is also encouraging passengers to avoid using the opal card reader at the front on the bus.
“When using our bus services, please help protect our drivers by not using the Opal reader at the front of the bus.”
Transport for NSW said for their drivers a bus is the same as an officer worker’s desk and were quick to support their staff.
“Our frontline staff are the backbone to the network and for our bus drivers their vehicle is their workspace. All Transport for NSW staff have come together to ensure a safe network for all staff and our customers,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson told Yahoo News.
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