Zonar Helps Metro Fleets Sanitize Buses Through New Electronically Verifiable Process

Seattle, Wash. – May 6, 2020 - Zonar, the leader in smart fleet technology, today announced that its patented Electronic Verified Inspection Reporting (EVIR®) solution has a new electronically verifiable configuration for ensuring and documenting the sanitation of metro buses. The new configuration is an essential feature for transit fleet managers to ensure buses and equipment are properly sanitized regularly for the safe travel of passengers and operators during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the future. The sanitation configuration is an extension of EVIR which is already widely used for verifying Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) mandated pre- and post-trip inspections have taken place.

The new configuration for sanitation leverages EVIR, the only verified, visual inspection system available in the market today. With EVIR, transit cleaning crews can verify that every step of the sanitation of metro buses has taken place by scanning an RFID or NFC tag at designated zones, as outlined by the American Public Transit Association (APTA) standards of best practices.

"Cleanliness has always been a critical component of transit operations – now more than ever," said H. Kevin Mest, senior vice president of passenger services at Zonar. "It is even more crucial to the health and safety of anyone who steps on a transit vehicle to ensure buses are clean and disinfected. Public transportation is often a lifeline for essential workers and families who need public transportation to get to work or for other daily activities – we're committed to helping metro fleet managers provide confidence and peace of mind to the communities we serve."

The EVIR configuration for sanitizing metro transit vehicles can also help transit organizations:

• Streamline their vehicle sanitation process for improved productivity while prioritizing cleanliness of operations
• Digitize the records of cleanings while eliminating a lengthy paper trail and make a major task easier to manage
• Meet new Federal Transit Administration requirements of documenting specific disinfectants used for sanitation of vehicles
• Increase productivity by identifying the exact areas and sanitation requirements of each zone
• Set and monitor expectations of how to sanitize areas and the duration of each task

The sanitation configuration is also compliant with Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan (PTASP). Transit systems that receive Urbanized Area Formula Grants program funds must comply with the new PTASP rule by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Effective July 19, 2019, the FTA requires certain public transit agencies and all rail transit operators to develop safety plans. This rule requires these safety plans to include processes, procedures and performance targets for a safety management system (SMS). The deadline for compliance has recently been extended to December 31, 2020—but agencies are still required to work toward compliance.

Zonar is providing compliance and regulatory assistance and advice on COVID-19 via the Zonar COVID-19 Resource page, as well as a free weekly webinar hosted by the company's Safety & Compliance team. This resource includes on-demand replays and Q&A sessions and 1:1 advice for drivers, operators and businesses around compliance and regulations through an easy-to-use form. This is all in addition to Zonar's 24/7/365 customer success team, which is available to handle any customer or product specific inquiries.

About Zonar
Founded in 2001, Zonar has pioneered smart fleet management solutions throughout vocational, pupil, mass transit and commercial trucking industries. Zonar’s mission is to enhance the safety, performance and success of our customers by transforming the delivery of innovative insights for commercial fleets around the world. Zonar achieves this by helping fleets of all sizes maximize the use of their assets with solutions dedicated to improving compliance, efficiency, maintenance, ridership visibility, safety and tracking. Cloud-based services with open APIs drive Zonar's smart fleet solutions by making it easy for fleet owners and managers to stay connected to their fleets and drivers and operators to dispatch. Headquartered in Seattle and part of the Continental family, Zonar also has a Technology Development Center in downtown Seattle, a regional office in Cincinnati, and a distribution center outside of Atlanta. For more information about Zonar, go to www.zonarsystems.com