Taxi app Gett has partnered with environmental company Evergen Systems to fund the installation of three air purifiers at St Peter’s Eaton Square Primary School in London.
The trial project was co-funded by both Evergen and Gett, as well as the taxi app’s customers, who were given the option to donate an extra 20p for every ride taken as part of the Gett Green initiative. It involved the installation of Evergen’s PureAire Monolite air purification units in the main hall of the school, located in Victoria.
With central London experiencing high air pollution levels, Gett says the trial will explore whether the air cleaners could provide better air quality for children during the school day. According to the firm, particle pollution readings at St Peter’s have dropped, with nitrogen dioxide (CO2) – which has been linked to inflammation of the airways – and ozone falling within safe levels as defined by the World Health Organisation.
Last year, Gett announced plans to offset 7,500 tonnes of CO2 to make every ride carbon neutral. It is also supporting the introduction of electric taxis in London, Coventry, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
John De Pree, marketing director at Gett, commented: “The quality of the air our children breathe is of significant concern at this vulnerable stage of their lives and that’s why we’re investing in schemes that actively clean the air today. We’re delighted that this trial has produced such fantastic results. I’d like to thank all our customers who chose to donate 20p when hailing a black cab via our app, which helps fund these important initiatives. Now that we have proof that these innovative units can make such a difference to air quality, everyone at Gett is looking forward to rolling this out to other schools and making a difference to more kids as they study and play.”
Sukhbir Sidhu, founder and director of Evergen, added: “Like all major cities around the world, the UK faces significant air quality challenges, most of all in London. That’s why we tested our technology in one of the world’s most polluted cities – Delhi – where our solution was certified by the National Physical Laboratory for its efficiency at cleaning outdoor air pollutants and bacteria.
“As a UK-based tech company I’m thrilled that we’re making a difference to St Peter’s and looking forward to rolling this out to their whole building and to other schools. The uniqueness of Evergen is that not only can we clean indoor air, we can clean outdoor air as well – and hopefully with further support from Gett and other funding partners, we can start installing into playgrounds too.”
Miles Ridley, St Peter’s headteacher, said: “This problem is not unique to St Peter’s – all schools in London are being affected by rising pollution levels. This technology could not have come soon enough, and I’m delighted to see it making such a measurable difference to the air quality in the school. Our hall is used almost every minute of every day from different year groups, so every pupil gets to benefit from this improvement. Everyone at St Peter’s is grateful to Gett and Evergen for this partnership that is funding this important technology.”
gett.com; evergensystems.com