Hife - The bus a safe space

At Hife we are very aware of the importance of traveling in a safe environment for our users. For this reason, we apply all sanitary measures in terms of transport against the transmission of the Covid-19 virus to generate maximum confidence in our passengers.

Hife makes the main measures adopted, observations and recommendations available to its travelers:

Hife has a CERTIFICATE OF ACCM - BIOLOGICAL SAFETY seal that guarantees our protocol for cleaning and disinfection of vehicles subjected to an external audit that supports it.
HIFE vehicles have air renewal systems, a key element to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. According to a report by the CNTC, the National Committee for Road Transport, these air conditioning systems installed in buses and coaches are designed to work with air pressures around 200 Pa and internal air flow around 6,000m3 / h . The ventilation systems of the buses allow the interior air to be completely renewed between 90 and 37 seconds. (*) .Which allows to guarantee the complete renewal of the interior air between 3 and 6 minutes.
Ventilation with effective airflow patterns is a primary strategy for infectious disease control through dilution of ambient air around a source and removal of infectious agents. With the nozzles open there is a vertical air flow from top to bottom at a speed that makes it difficult to cross contagion between passengers. With the nozzles closed, its design generates a “bubble” or “bell” effect around the passenger that creates a barrier to the bioaerosols generated around it.
HIFE guarantees the correct use and operation of the air conditioning systems installed in its vehicles, since it contributes to effectively prevent the transmission of infections through bioaerosols. In addition, the incorporation of all those additional measures that would further reduce the possibility of infection transmission is being studied, such as air ionization devices to treat indoor air.
Durante el viaje exigimos el uso de mascarilla obligatorio, cubriendo nariz y boca durante todo el trayecto a bordo del autocar, incluso si los viajeros duermen, así como en nuestras instalaciones, tal como se exige el artículo 1.1. de la orden *TMA/384/2020, de 3 de mayo, por la cual se dictan instrucciones sobre la utilización de mascarillas en los medios de transporte y se fijan requisitos para garantizar una movilidad segura. En caso de que los viajeros no sigan las normas, indicaciones o recomendaciones, nuestro personal podrá llamarles la atención o dar instrucciones sobre cómo proceder.
During the trip we require the use of a mandatory mask, covering the nose and mouth throughout the journey on board the coach, even if the travelers are sleeping, as well as in our facilities, as required by article 1.1. of order TMA / 384/2020, of May 3, which dictates instructions on the use of masks in means of transport and sets requirements to guarantee safe mobility. In the event that travelers do not follow the rules, directions or recommendations, our staff may call their attention or give instructions on how to proceed.
According to its report on air filters in different sectors and the possibility of eliminating the SARS-Cov-2 virus, the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Higher Council for Scientific Research), CSIC, considers public transport safe for passenger transport in terms of airborne transmission by SARS- CoV2, with the mandatory use of a mask. The 100% occupancy of buses does not pose an additional risk of spreading the virus with the important safeguard of the mandatory use of masks.
In relation to the occupation allowed in public transport based on the first final provision, Order SND / 507/2020, of June 6, establishes that in regular, discretionary and private complementary public transport of travelers with bus, as well as in rail transport, in which all occupants have to be seated, all seats can be used.

The bus transport sector has been a pioneer in adapting the sanitary security protocol, following at all times the measures established by the Ministry of Health. A Guide has been published for the reduction of contagion by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus with clear specifications of service, cleaning and disinfection, maintenance and risk management, which also establishes the guidelines to develop a Contingency Plan with the concrete measures to be adopted to reduce the risks of contagion, as well as a cleaning and disinfection plan.

We recommend that people living at the same address use seats that allow them to travel together.
We prohibit eating, drinking and smoking on board our coaches.
We recommend not talking on the phone, or with the rest of the passengers, during the trip.
We recommend for hygiene and sanitary safety DO NOT USE the W.C. of the coaches available on board the bus, except in cases of extreme need.
We recommend buying bus tickets online or in advance at www.hife.es, which allows us to manage the booking and we offer a ticket sales service by phone.
Our drivers are equipped with masks, have personal and individual hydroalcoholic gel dispensers at their disposal and are obliged to wear the mask covering their nose and mouth during their activity. Our action protocol in case of suspected coronavirus symptoms guarantees the immediate withdrawal of the driver from service, who will necessarily have to notify the company of the result of his test if he has confirmed positive for the coronavirus.

The measures applied, such as the mandatory use of the mask and the exhaustive cleaning and safety protocols, as well as the ventilation systems installed in our fleet, guarantee that bus transport is a totally safe environment.

(*) The outdoor air ratio recommended in the regulations is 4.17 l / s for each person, which indicates a renewal of 825 m3 / h for a vehicle with 55 passengers inside. However, the values measured in different vehicles improve this air flow and are usually around 1,000 m3 / h of renewal, which means that the interior air is renewed every 3 minutes. These values can even be increased if the hatches that allow fresh air to enter are permanently open. Although they depend on the type of air conditioning system used, the completely open renewal hatch would allow the introduction of renewal flow rates in a range that would oscillate between 2,000 m3 / h and 4,800 m3 / h, which would guarantee that the interior air is completely renewed between 90 and 37 seconds.