An update from Liftshare

As a social enterprise dedicated to helping people travel happy we are vividly aware of how strange recent events have been. With the country in lockdown and many key workers in need of travel solutions, we are focusing most of our efforts on helping essential organisations figure out how to mobilise their staff.

 

Our focus is on:

  •       Helping clients/members in any way we can
  •       Supporting key workers and essential organisations
  •       Helping organisations prepare for the return of the workforce.

 

Click here for our guidance on sharing during this time. (UPDATED 8/4/2020)

 

Below is the official advice from the Government regarding car-sharing for essential workers

 

Social distancing in the workplace during coronavirus (COVID-19)

Advice for employers on social distancing during coronavirus (COVID-19) from Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

 

Use of private vehicles and car pooling
“When using a private vehicle to make a journey that is essential, cars should only be shared by members of the same household. Those who normally share a car with people who are not members of their own household for a journey that is essential, e.g. getting to work, should consider alternatives such as walking, cycling and public transport where you maintain a distance of 2 metres from others.

If the journey is essential, such as travel to work, and there is no option but to share a car with people who are not part of the same household, journeys should be shared with the same individuals and with the minimum number of people at any one time.

Good ventilation (i.e. keeping the windows open) and facing away from each other may help to reduce the risk of transmission. Private vehicles that are used by people from multiple households should be cleaned regularly using gloves and standard cleaning products with particular emphasis on handles and other areas where passengers may touch surfaces.”

 

To help key workers with their journeys, we have put together a special team dedicated to supporting vital services such as the NHS. Right now we are in conversation with several organisations about their specific needs and our tech team is working to adapt our platform accordingly. There are a significant number of key workers who will need to get into work but may not be able to drive or access public transport. Social distancing is a serious consideration but it is worth keeping in mind that lift sharing with a colleague reduces the chance of transmission to or from other staff or the public, and can offer a more contained and spacious alternative to packed buses and trains. Our software also gives organisations the ability to track teams that travel together, which allows for better infection management.

 

We know that many of our clients and members will be trying to navigate a variety of different challenges, from figuring out how to work from home to finding toilet paper. We don’t have all the answers but we are ready to help you where possible, please get in touch with our team if you need our help. We are also launching a new Facebook group to allow our public members to share information online, you can join it here or if you are a business client you can join our LinkedIn group here.

 

Over the coming weeks life is going to look dramatically different at Liftshare HQ, predominantly because none of us will be in the building. Fortunately, we are all equipped to work from home and have regular video conference meetings to make sure that everything is working as it should. In an unexpected way, working from home is bringing us closer together by opening up new conversations and insights. Environmentally, we are also seeing many benefits from fewer cars on the streets.

 

While we appreciate the severity of our current situation, we also think that it is a good time to reflect on what we can do in the future. Right now we are focused on helping key workers but when the lockdown ceases we are ready to continue making commuting into work a more joyful experience for everybody. Look after yourself and let us know if there is anything we can do to help you or the organisation that you work with.

 

 

Author Simon Cross

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