Tokyo taxi operator adopts L-shaped barrier for safety, better rider experience
Major taxi operator Nihon Kotsu Co. is introducing a new type of plastic barrier for its fleet to prevent airborne droplets amid the prolonged novel coronavirus pandemic.
The Tokyo-based operator aims to protect passengers and drivers from infection by introducing an L-shaped barrier that encloses the driver’s seat.
The company had been using a plastic curtain since May last year to separate the front and rear seats. Some passengers complained about it, however, saying the curtain made it hard to see through the windshield and to hear the driver.
In response, the company looked into a barrier developed by Sanwa Kotsu Group, a Yokohama-based taxi company.
As it is easier to hear the drivers with the barrier, which also allows an unobstructed view of the windshield for passengers, Nihon Kotsu decided to install it in all 1,663 vehicles in its fleet.
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