Public Golden Arrow buses introduced germ- and virus-killing measures at the Cape Town bus terminus on Wednesday. Using spray disinfectant and offering hand sanitisers to passengers, the Western Cape is hoping to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The Western Cape minister of transport and public works, Bonginkosi Madikizela, arrived at the bus terminus to assess the state of public transport readiness in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

“Right now, the first thing we need to do, is to make sure people are santised and the buses and taxis are sprayed with disinfectant,” said Madikizela.

According to its website, Golden Arrow Bus Services operates 1,046 buses during peak hours, transporting an average of 220,000 people a day.

Madikizela is set to visit Cape Town International Airport on Wednesday afternoon where a travel ban on passengers from high-risk countries will come into effect. Airport staff have placed Covid-19 banners and hand sanitisers across the terminals.

Since President Cyril Ramaphosa's national disaster declaration after the Covid-19 outbreak, the Western Cape government has said it has convened a dedicated work-stream cluster for transport which meets daily and provides feedback to the provincial cabinet.