Dettol has teamed up with Transport for London to provide free hand sanitiser across all 270 London Underground stations.
The partnership is part of global healthcare giant Reckitt Benckiser’s ambition to keep protecting the nation and reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has welcomed the tie-up with the brand, created in Hull more than 80 years ago.
He said: “I’m really pleased that TfL and Dettol have teamed up to provide hand sanitiser to Tube passengers across the network. It is vital that we all play our part in making public transport as safe as possible by using hand sanitiser points, wearing a face covering unless you are exempt, and travelling off-peak to enable better social distancing.”
Launched this week, it was trailed with some eyebrow-raising advertising about the ‘joys’ of the office as Britain was encouraged to get back to work, in a Trainspotting monologue parody.
Susan Egstrand, regional general manager for RB, said: “Part of ‘getting back to normal’ is adapting to our ‘new normal’. Good hygiene is one of the foundations of good health and unlike any other time we have known before, our daily hygiene behaviours have the potential to directly affect the health and wellbeing of our loved ones and those around us.
“Creating opportunities – no matter how small – can reduce uncertainty and enable people to feel more in control.”
Pre-lockdown, around two million people used the Tube on an average day in London, a figure vastly reduced as remote working prompted new ‘lockdown habits’ and lifestyle choices.
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Susan said Dettol is committed to help get the nation moving – and part of that, is providing reassurance across the London Underground network.
“We know that Dettol has a meaningful role to play in disinfection and helping limit the spread of the virus. We are incredibly proud to have partnered with TfL to ensure Londoners getting back on the move, can do so with sanitised hands through access to over 800 Dettol hand sanitiser units.
“It may seem simple, but these small habits really are huge acts of care and protection in helping stop the spread of illness causing germs.”
The antibacterial product being dispensed to the public is Dettol’s hand sanitiser gel, which has been proven to kill 99.9 per cent of bacteria and viruses, including coronavirus.
It uses 62 per cent ethanol (alcohol) as the germ disinfection active ingredient, which is in line with Public Health England and World Health Organisation recommendations.
Andy Lord, managing director of London Underground, said: “We want everyone using our services to be confident when travelling with us. It is great that we can work with Dettol to provide their hand sanitiser to our customers and promote the importance of keeping your hands clean.
“This partnership is testament to the many efforts made by our staff and passengers during the pandemic to help keep everyone sanitised. By working together, we can help get London moving again.”
It comes in a week when RB donated more than quarter of a million pounds to six charitable causes in its home city.