Thousands of taxis now 'corona-proof' thanks to tailor-made protective screens

Body repair shops and Dutch startup collaborate to develop a safe solution for passenger transport and supply the taxi industry with thousands of protective screens

AMSTERDAM/UTRECHT – Taxi Central Amsterdam (TCA), DVG Passenger transport, and other large taxi platforms in the Netherlands ensure passenger transportation is in line with the latest corona measures taken by the government. Several body repair shops and Dutch startup Fixico have joined forces to supply the taxi industry with, now, mandatory protective screens and have already installed thousands of them.

When a distance of one and a half metres cannot be maintained, a physical separation between the driver's seat and the passenger seats has become mandatory for taxi drivers and passenger transportation in general. The fast-growing Dutch startup Fixico, an online car damage repair handling platform, works with many taxi and passenger transport companies and identified the urgent need for protective screens.

FixiCover Driver Shield

The FixiCover Driver Shield has been developed in a short period of time, in conjunction with body repair shops, and is designed to fit a wide range of vehicles. FixiCover is currently suitable for more than 40 different types of vehicle; ranging from passenger cars to larger vans, commonly used in passenger transport.

The FixiCover Driver Shield works in a similar way to the protective screens we now see in retail stores. It is a transparent polycarbonate barrier; the material is 250 times stronger than glass, fire retardant, easy to install without special equipment and can be removed without causing damage. Because installation takes less than five minutes, taxis can get back on the road quickly.

Installation at body repair shops

Drivers can easily book a screen installation appointment via Fixico's online scheduling system and certified body repair shops will install the screens. Many repair shops are currently experiencing empty workshops, and fewer vehicles on the road means fewer damage occurrences. So, installing FixiCover screens provides additional turnover for body repair shops during this time.

Derk Roodhuyzen, Founder and CEO of Fixico says: "To date, we have installed thousands of FixiCover Driver shields in the Netherlands, and new requests keep coming in daily. We’ve equipped the majority of TCA's drivers, as well as other Dutch taxi platforms. In the coming week alone, there are nearly a thousand installation appointments scheduled. It's great to contribute to this creative cooperation between body repair shops and the taxi industry and create safer taxis.” 

Fixico is receiving requests from all over the world. Starting next week, the startup will roll out FixiCover further across Europe.