Antimicrobial foil protects public transport passengers in Liberec

It is the first Czech city to use the technology this way

The transport company of Liberec is taking yet another step to increase the safety of passengers during the coronavirus pandemic. On top of disinfection and deep cleaning, the Czech city is adding a new barrier against viruses and bacteria – a germ cleaning transparent foil.

The thin antimicrobial film, capable of eliminating up to 99.99% of viruses and bacteria will be installed on the most exposed areas on public vehicles.

Making public transport users feel safe again

Liberec will become the first Czech city to address the issue of covid protection on public transport in a comprehensive way, thanks to Coversafe film installed on door bars, handles and touch screens in about a hundred city trams and buses. This comes on top of the existing cleaning protocols, like cleaning with ozone and disinfectant.

"Although we regularly disinfect cars, the decline in the number of passengers is very noticeable. On the one hand, people have no reason to travel and on the other hand, they are afraid. Thanks to this investment, our cars will be a bit safer again" commented Jiří Šolc, Deputy Mayor of Liberec, quoted on the municipal portal. The amount of the said investment is CZK 2,500 per vehicle (less than 100 euros).

The Coversafe antimicrobial self-adhesive film has been tested one of the city trams since November. “The technology is based on the action of zinc microspheres, i.e. on a natural basis. The microspheres react with air humidity to form free radicals, which, based on oxidation, destroy the membranes of viruses and bacteria. The latest certificate confirmed to us that it is destroying SARS-Cov-2 causing covid-19" explains Alex Reynelt from the Czech branch of the French company Gergonne, which developed the Coversafe film. "It is a continuous and effective protection against a number of other viruses, bacteria, germs and fungi. In addition, everything is safe and non-toxic to humans and the environment”.

According to series of tests that the producer conducted, if the film is not manually damaged, its service life is at least four years without loss of effectiveness, and it can be cleaned with common cleaning agents.

Liberec will thus become the first city in Czechia to use such protection on public buses and trams, but there are several educational, medical institutions and industrial sites in the city to use it.