BERLIN: From germ-ridden scooter handlebars to coughing Uber passengers: The urban mobility movement is already responding to fears that their modes of transport could help spread the coronavirus in cities.
Users of electric scooter share-ride offer Voi are being urged to wear gloves and refrain from handshakes when greeting fellow riders in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Ride-hailing companies Lyft and Uber are meanwhile both calling on drivers and riders to disinfect their cars and keep them clean.
The transport sector is among those to be severely hit by the rapid spread of the coronavirus, which has halted production at factories, help up supply chains and led to some of the world's biggest auto industry events being cancelled.
Fears that taxi drivers would be particularly at risk of infection rose after a driver in Taiwan became the first in the country to die of the virus in mid-February, despite having no history of overseas travel.
Lyft has said it would provide funds to any driver confirmed to have the Covid-19 lung disease caused by the virus, while Uber is offering payment to cover the 14 days of required quarantine for individuals with the virus, according to US media.
Car rental companies from Daimler's Car2Go and BMW DriveNow to Hertz and Sixt have yet to announce concrete measures against coronavirus, but many customers will likely be wary of which hands were at the wheel before them.
Scooter startup Voi said it does not currently operate in any high-risk coronavirus region, but that its move was part of increased safety measures.
"We are [...] reaching out to our riders and advising them to wear gloves when riding shared scooters and to undertake additional safety precautions such as using alcohol based hand sanitisers and greeting fellow riders with a smile instead of a handshake."
The company said its staff were not allowed to travel to risk areas, and it urged users to follow advice from the World Health Organisation.
