Now that winter is here, flu season is coming. People get these viruses and bacteria from each other, so it’s especially important to stop the spread. During this period, it is particularly important to prevent bacteria and viruses settling on surfaces which are in contact with crowds.

A Hungarian company’s invention can bring revolutionary change in the cleansing of busy areas and public transportation. The special material is made of natural metal oxide that forms a layer on the surface where the bacteria cannot colonize. This coating works 100% environmentally friendly. The photocatalytic coating activates by light, it doesn’t wear off, and practically continuously disinfect the surface. No matter, how many people touches the surface, because this material is constantly working. Normal artificial light (lightbulbs or led) can perfectly ensure this effect, and it provides up to a year of disinfection.

BKV – the public transport company of Budapest – decided to apply this material on the handholds of the escalators at M2 and M4 metro lines. And because the first results are promising, they will extend this protection to M3 and suburban railway lines as well this year. And Budapest in not the only one, who noticed this method: it is already used on the handholds of 160 Volan buses in the countryside!