New York City will use powerful UV lights on subways and buses to kill the coronavirus

According to foreign media The Verge, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is addressing the issue of record-low passenger volumes on subways and buses during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to The New York Daily News, the authority will begin using powerful ultraviolet light on subways and buses as part of its enhanced disinfection plan. This work is part of a collaborative project with Columbia University, which believes that UV lamps can be used to kill diseases in the transportation system.

Starting May 11, MTA will place UV lamps in subway cars and buses at two subway stations and bus stops. These lamps emit 'ultraviolet' light composed of shorter, higher-energy light bands that can be harmful to the human body if directly exposed to sunlight.

Ultraviolet light is particularly effective at killing organic matter, including virus particles, but whether it can effectively eliminate the novel coronavirus remains unknown. UV lamps and robots are typically used to disinfect objects such as water, laboratory equipment, and spaces like buses and airplanes. MTA officials stated that if the results are effective, they will expand to more trains and buses.

Last week, New York Governor Cuomo and New York City Mayor de Blasio announced that starting May 6, unconventional measures would be taken to close subway service from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. daily for large-scale disinfection.

According to reports, since the outbreak of the pandemic, passenger ridership on the New York City Transit Authority has dropped by 90%. To address the decline in demand, the authority has reduced some train and bus services. Many employees in essential industries still rely on buses for their daily commute. To date, more than 80 MTA employees have died from COVID-19.