As reported in the Stoke sentinel 17/04/2021 (https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/stoke-trent-bu…)
A Stoke-on-Trent bus company is the first in the UK to introduce a Covid-safe disinfectant fogging system to make public transport safer for passengers. D&G has a fleet of 169 buses and operates across Staffordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester and Wrexham.
The company has been trialling the new automatic system which sanitises a whole bus in just minutes and kills up to 99.9 per cent of viruses and bacteria.
The system uses an alcohol-free solution - V-stop - which has been developed in collaboration with Singapore-based chemist company Biocomm and made in Stoke-on-Trent by Future Developments Manufacturing.
The system works by pumping the fogging solution up from a bespoke reservoir and through a series of nozzles placed at intervals throughout the bus. A pre-programmed timer system is built in which can be set to sanitise at regular intervals when the vehicle is at the depot or out-of-service. The teams behind the system hope it will make passengers feel more confident about stepping back into the world and travelling safely.
The idea was the brainchild of Dave Williams, of Future Development Manufacturing. It was then developed with local engineer Philip Mansell, and Simon Baddeley of V-Stop Systems in Market Drayton.
Dave said: "This is a world first and has been achieved by a local company and local talents. The interest we have is phenomenal from the UK public transportation sector operators - and we have already had initial enquiries from around the world. Bus and rail sectors have told us that our system will be a lifeline to them as it will give people confidence and encourage them to use public transport once again."
Simon Whitney, Business Development Director of V-Stop UK added: "Our new solutions for public transport are the perfect way to manage and deliver disinfection and sanitisation of vehicles."
Traditionally used by dentists - or to clean operating theatres - the V-stop solution is laboratory tested and 80 times stronger than bleach - but completely harmless to humans and leaves no residue.
It replaces the need for buses to be cleaned by hand, making generally cleaning safer for staff members too, and less labour intensive.
Kevin Crawford, Operations Director at D&G Bus, said: "We're extremely proud to be the first bus company in the UK to be rolling out this pioneering technology.
"It will allow us to completely and automatically sanitise our whole fleet of buses in the middle of the night while they are parked up in the depot - without any human contact.
"As well as being a faster and more cost-effective way to sanitise, it gives us confidence that our fleet is Covid safe and will also reassure our passengers that our buses are as clean as they can be."
When developing the system, Staffordshire University's SAMPID (Staffordshire Advanced Manufacturing Prototyping Innovation Demonstrator) provided MA Industrial Design student Lewis Jarram as an intern to help with the prototype packaging and marketing collateral.
Programme manager Rachel Wood, of Staffordshire University, said: "Internships like this allow our students the opportunity to put their skills and knowledge into a real-life work brief."
Student Lewis added: "It was a great opportunity - a first for commercial transport. I've worked on projects before where it's usually over the course of about 12 weeks, but this was much tighter. Having such a tight deadline on a project like this was really challenging, but so rewarding.
"All the credit goes to the guys on the project - I was just an extra cog."
MP for Stoke-on-Trent South, Jack Brereton, hopes that the 'knock-on effects' of the system will encourage people to be able to shop local and support businesses in the city.
He said: "This innovation will give people the confidence to go back on buses in Stoke-on-Trent, making it a key part of our recovery and our pathway to getting back to normal.
"The knock-on effects of this increase in confidence will be significant, more people will be willing to take buses to the town centres to support local businesses and organisations.
"D&G's pioneering efforts in this regard will have a huge positive impact on Stoke-on-Trent and our recovery from the pandemic."
