GO GEORGE keeping the Covid-safety message alive
GO GEORGE keeping the Covid-safety message alive
Issued on 16 Feb 2021
With an essential service such as the GO GEORGE bus service officially classified as a high-risk area for the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the constant refreshing of safety messages to promote awareness and compliance to regulations is critical.
“There’s always the risk that people may become complacent when a situation lingers on as is the case with the pandemic,” says James Robb, GO GEORGE Manager. “For this reason, our communications team is constantly coming up with new creative ideas and innovative forms of communication to reach as many of our passengers as possible, and with a message that they can identify with.”
Audio and visual messaging
Apart from regular newspaper and radio advertisements and social media reminders to adhere to the regulations, voice recordings are played over loudspeakers at the Transport Hub during peak times, and Covid-safety messages have been added to the digital board inside the bus. With passengers spending some time daily at the bus shelters, vinyl panels carrying the message have also been applied there, where everybody can see it. By including both audio and visual messaging, the bus service reiterates its commitment to make this important message accessible to people with different categories of special needs.
Champions “walking reminders”
The communication champions have two sets of eye-catching outfits with Covid messaging to wear when they are on duty.
“It sometimes just takes someone with a bright-yellow sash like a beauty queen to remind you to pull up your mask over your nose as well!” says Robb.
Targeting learners
With schools starting this week, communication champions are at the bus stops near schools to hand out flyers with relevant safety measures when travelling by bus. A colourful superhero named The Sanitiser will make his debut as part of the communications team, sanitising the learners’ hands in a playful manner with a toy water pistol filled with sanitising liquid. To make the message stick, small bottles of GO GEORGE-branded hand sanitiser are also handed out.
For any information about the bus service, the public is invited to phone the GO GEORGE Call Centre on 0800 044 044, seven days a week.
CAPTIONS:
1. Tyron Jeyi, newly appointed Community Liaison Officer in the communications team, points to the on-board digital messaging board where information such as the next stop on the route is displayed. Important Covid-safety messages relating to behaviour on the bus have now been added to the list.
- Communication champions Zanele Gosa (left) and Janell Gelant display examples of the apparel with Covid-safety reminders which they wear when engaging with passengers.
GO GEORGE hou Covid-veiligheidsboodskap lewe
Uitgereik op 15 Februarie 2021
Met ‘n noodsaaklike diens soos die GO GEORGE-busdiens wat amptelik as ‘n hoë-risikogebied vir die verspreiding van die Covid-19-virus geklassifiseer is, is die konstante verfrissing van veiligheidsboodskappe om bewustheid en nakoming van regulasies te bevorder uiters belangrik.
“Daar is altyd die risiko dat mense te gerus kan raak wanneer ‘n situasie voortsleep soos wat met die pandemie die geval is,” sê James Robb, GO GEORGE-bestuurder. “Om hierdie rede kom ons kommunikasiespan voortdurend met nuwe kreatiewe idees en innoverende vorms van kommunikasie vorendag om soveel as moontlik van ons passasiers te bereik, en met ‘n boodskap waarmee hulle kan identifiseer.”
Oudio- en visuele boodskappe
Benewens gereelde koerant- en radio advertensies en sosiale-media-aanmanings om aan die regulasies te voldoen, word stemopnames gedurende spitstye oor luidsprekers by die Vervoerkern (Transport Hub) gespeel, en is Covid-veiligheidsboodskappe op die digitale inligtingsbord in die bus bygevoeg. Met passasiers wat daagliks ‘n taamlike tydjie by die busskuilings deurdring, is vinielpanele wat die boodskap oordra ook daar aangebring, waar almal dit kan sien. Deur beide klank- en visuele boodskappe in te sluit, bevestig die busdiens sy verbintenis om hierdie belangrike boodskap toeganklik te maak vir mense met verskillende kategorieë van spesiale behoeftes.
“Wandelende aanmaners”
Die passasiersdiensbeamptes het twee stelle opvallende uitrustings met Covid-boodskappe om te dra wanneer hulle aan diens is.
“Dit neem soms net iemand met ‘n heldergeel band skuins oor die lyf – soos ‘n skoonheidskoningin – om jou te herinner om jou masker oor jou neus ook op te trek!” sê Robb.
Leerders geteiken
Met skole wat vandeesweek begin, is passasiersdiensbeamptes by die bushaltes naby skole om pamflette met relevante veiligheidsmaatreëls wat op die busse geld, uit te deel. ‘n Kleurvolle superheld genaamd “The Sanitiser” maak hierdie week sy debuut as deel van die kommunikasiespan en ontsmet die leerders se hande op ‘n speelse wyse met ‘n speelgoedwaterpistool vol handreiniger. Om die boodskap te laat vassteek, word klein botteltjies handreiniger ook uitgedeel.
Vir enige inligting oor die busdiens word die publiek genooi om die GO GEORGE-inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044 te skakel, sewe dae per week.
Byskrifte:
1. Tyron Jeyi, pas aangestelde gemeenskapskakelbeampte in die kommunikasiespan, beduie na die digitale inligtingsbord in die bus waar inligting soos die volgende bushalte op die roete vertoon word. Belangrike Covid-veiligheidsboodskappe wat met gedrag op die bus verband hou, is nou by die lys gevoeg.
- Passasiersdiensbeamptes Zanele Gosa (links) en Janell Gelant vertoon voorbeelde van die klere met Covid-veiligheidsboodskappe wat hulle dra wanneer hulle met die publiek skakel.