Ferry company Stena Line has announced a set of safety measures aimed at ensuring ferry travel is the safest form of public transport, the company said in its release. Social distancing, fog machines, fresh sea air inside the ships are all seen as key to reassuring customers about the future of ferry travel as countries reopen their borders.
Stena Line’s ferries have played a vital role during the pandemic keeping supplies of food, medicines and equipment moving across Europe. As people look forward to being able to travel this summer, Stena Line has been receiving an increase in passenger bookings.
In advance of the return of sea corridors reopening to tourist travel the company has been finalising extensive new safety measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 and ensure a safe and seamless journey:
• Easier social distancing - ferry travel is the only form of public transport where passengers can social distancing easily. Stena Line has undertaken risk assessments, which have capped the numbers of passengers on each crossing to guarantee adequate space.
• Fresh sea air is now being circulated into the air filtration systems on all ferries.
• New fog machines are being used to sanitise communal areas and cabins on the ferries and alongside the continuous cleaning routines being undertaken throughout the ships.
As part of Stena Line’s safety plan to prevent the spread of the Covid-19, an extensive risk assessment identified three key stages of the customer journey to focus on:
During check-in at the Terminal.
While onboard the vessels.
During embarkation and disembarkation
Stena Line is one of Europe's leading ferry companies with 38 vessels and 19 routes in Northern Europe. Stena Line is an important part of the European logistics network and develops new intermodal freight solutions by combining transport by rail, road and sea. Stena Line also plays an important role for tourism in Europe with its extensive passenger operations. The company is family-owned, was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Gothenburg. Stena Line is part of the Stena AB Group, which has about 16 000 employees and an annual turnover of around 37 billion SEK. Stena Line is part of the Stena AB Group, which has about 16 000 employees and an annual turnover of around 37 billion SEK.