Warrington buses first to install air cleaning devices

Warrington’s Own Buses has become the first bus company in the world to install air cleaning devices across its entire operational bus fleet to protect its drivers from Covid-19.

The company has installed 86 AirLabs AirBubbl air cleaning devices in the driver cabins of their buses.

The AirBubbl filters more than 95% of airborne viruses and contaminated particulate matter and floods the vehicle with over 30,000 litres of clean air every hour, to keep drivers safe as they provide vital public transport services.

AirLabs, the London-based scale up behind the AirBubbl device, is now focusing on its new air cleaning solution for the passenger cabins of public transportation, including buses, coaches and trains.

AirLabs has received a $100,000 grant from Barclays and Unreasonable Impact to bring its COVID-19-response AiroSafe? technology to market. The AiroSafe is designed to remove airborne coronavirus from the passenger cabins of public transport, by creating a personal air space for every seat.

AirBubbl and AiroSafe could play a huge role in getting commuters back into work, reducing the risk of airborne transmission of the virus, enabling increased numbers of passengers to be allowed back on public transport and reassuring the public that it is safer to travel.

Marc Ottolini, CEO, Airlabs, said: ‘As lockdowns continue to ease around the world, the focus now shifts to how we can get back to business safely.

‘There is increasing acceptance of the role of aerosol transmission of this virus and that the dose matters, as higher exposures can lead to more severe illness. By installing our cutting-edge technology, you can massively reduce this dose and therefore the risk of infection.

‘We have had significant global interest in our air cleaning technology since the virus struck and believe that it can play a major role in reducing the risk of exposure on public transport for drivers and passengers.’

Stephen Stringer, Head of Engineering at Warrington’s Own Buses, said: ‘The priority for us is to protect the health and safety of our employees, who provide an essential service, and of course for our customers, the people of Warrington.

‘By installing the AirBubbl devices we’re ensuring that we can reduce the risk of exposure for our staff, who have done a fantastic job in serving Warrington during this crisis.’