Our actions
23 March 2020
Recognising the ongoing and increased uncertainty that the coronavirus (COVID-19) is causing around the world, our highest priority is the health and well-being of our people and of the communities that we serve.
In a situation like this, our collective ability to remain calm, to follow rigorous health and safety processes, instructions of health authorities as well as our sense of solidarity will help us minimize the negative consequences of this pandemic.
At Keolis Downer, we are closely monitoring advice from health authorities and we encourage all our teams and customers to follow official health advice and key prevention measures such as washing or sanitising hands frequently, staying at home if unwell and to seek medical advice if they show symptoms such as fever, a cough, sore throat, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
We are working in partnership with transport authorities across Australia to implement measures that will guarantee the continuity of our activities across our networks (light rail, bus, On Demand transport, and ferry services). Some proactive actions include:
- Extra cleaning of touch points on vehicles including door handles, handrails, seat belts and card readers
- Reminding our staff of best practice to stop the spreading of COVID-19, and regular updates in line with the Australian Government Department of Health
- Proactively addressing the situation as it evolves with expert advice from health and operational professionals across our business in Australia and internationally
Service frequencies and operational changes will be reviewed in line with government and public transport authority advice.
We note the Australian Federal Government has banned non-essential gatherings of 100 or more persons and that from 23 March, all non-essential activities will be locked down. National Cabinet agreed that public transport is essential and that AHPPC advice should apply in relation to public transport (trains, trams, buses, ferries), taxi and ride share vehicles and transport of vulnerable populations, with particular attention given to cleaning, hygiene and social distancing.
We will continue to closely monitor this issue and will fully comply with the advice and guidance provided by the relevant government authorities in Australia.
As this is a fast moving situation, we will keep our teams and our customers regularly informed of the instructions and recommendations given by the authorities.
We encourage all our teams to observe official health advice from government authorities for the latest advice:
https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert