EDMONTON -- Transit users may notice brand new seats as they ride on the LRT cars in Edmonton.
New seats with a germ-killing additive have been incorporated on approximately two-thirds of LRT cars.
Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) said in a press release sent last week that the seats will be easier to clean and maintain and can reduce up to 99.9 per cent of germs, including bacteria, fungus, and viruses.
The seats are expected by ETS to last the remaining life of the LRT cars.
ETS added that funding for the new LRT seats came from government grants like the federal Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.
Craig McKeown, LRT Operations and Maintenance director, said in a statement that the LRT seats represent one of the 30 different public health measures ETS has adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep transit users safe.
“Health and safety continues to be our primary focus, and these new germ-killing LRT seats complement all of the other public health measures we have in place, like enhanced daily cleaning and disinfecting of transit vehicles and transit property,” McKeown said.
“We’re continually looking to incorporate innovative health measures to keep Edmontonians safe.”
ETS said transit users are still encouraged to continue following all COVID-19 safety precautions.
According to ETS, the risk of COVID-19 transmission on public transit remains low.
In January, ETS and a local biotechnology company partnered to install germ-killing push-plates at 10 transit facilities. The push-plates are now installed on entrance and exit manual swing doors at Bay/Enterprise Square, Central, University, Health Sciences/Jubilee, and Southgate stations.
The results from the push-plate pilot project will be evaluated in the summer.
