Staff Reporter
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Free State and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) are installing hand-washing stations at taxi ranks to ensure commuters maintain good hygienic standards.
At least nine Eazi-Wash Communal Hand Wash stations were installed at taxi ranks in different parts of the province over the past week as part of a pilot project expected to contribute significantly to the country’s fight against COVID-19.
“We have started rolling out this project to just a few taxi ranks in the province and then we will see how it goes,” DWS provincial spokesperson Larry Crisp told The Free Stater this Friday.
Some of the taxi ranks equipped with Eazi-Wash Stations to date include the Bloemfontein Long Distance Taxi Rank, Peet Avenue Taxi Rank, Thaba Nchu Central Taxi Rank, Botshabelo Taxi Rank as well as Maluti Crescent Taxi Rank, Itshokolele and Setsing Shopping Centre in Qwaqwa.
Crisp said the hand-wash stations are strategically placed and equipped with a water tank, a liquid soap dispenser as well as soft touch water release system for community members to utilise before they embark on their journeys.
One commuter, Lefu Lefeta from Bloemfontein, said the initiative will help people maintain good hygiene.
“I feel safer knowing that I can sanitise my hands before stepping into a taxi. This way we all protect one another,” said Lefeta.
In an earlier statement, the DWS said its partnership with Unicef was aimed at educating community members about hygienic practices that have been confirmed by World Health Organisation to flatten the curve in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.
The DWS has been at the centre of efforts to fight the pandemic across the country by ensuring improved water supplies.
Good sanitation is also important in safeguarding people’s health.
“To date, 1 840 water tanks and 137 water delivery trucks have been distributed across the Free State to assist communities with hygiene during this period,” said the statement.
“With winter time steadily approaching and dam levels dropping, DWS would like to urge South Africans to continue to use water sparingly and closing taps after washing hands.”
The DWS said hand sanitisers should be used in instances where water and soap are not readily available and commonly used surfaces should be avoided and cleaned with bleach.
It said South Africa remains a water-scarce country and water conservation efforts need to be tightened to save the available water.