Packed taxis, buses and an issue for returning workers – The Wall Street Journal

As employers and workers are getting ready to return to work in phases in South Africa on the 1st of May; it is definitely not going to be business as usual. They will have to adjust to 'a new normal' of social distancing at work and apart from the challenges of how to keep work stations and workers apart; a major issue of concern is; how do you safely transport people who normally arrive by bus, taxis or trains. On any normal day in South Africa, people are packed like sardines in a can in taxis and buses; staying 2 metres away from fellow passengers is just not possible. The Wall Street Journal looks at alternatives that companies in the United States are considering including private vans and bus services, but that is not practical for a large section of South Africa's workforce. The other problem is whether South Africans who have felt fairly safe during the lockdown according to an HSRC study would have the confidence to return to work as they would be more exposed to people with the virus. Some experts have also warned that face masks, which have become compulsory in South Africa do not offer proper protection against the virus. – Linda van Tilburg

Biggest hurdle to bringing people back to the office might be the commute

By Chip Cutter*

(The Wall Street Journal) – As corporate executives plan how to safely bring employees back to work in the office, a thorny issue has arisen over which they have no control: public transportation.

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