LEANING INSTEAD OF HOLDING
Rather than holding onto a pole, buses, trains, and metros will be designed to support yourself by leaning against something. Horizontal supports and cushions can provide support for busy metro lines. Although it will be a design challenge to place horizontal bars on aisles. For example, how do you pull a support out of a pole without using your hands for it?
An added advantage of having support spots is that the locations of travelers are predictable. For most scenarios, operators will know where the users leans and in which direction their faces look. In the event of an imminent virus, these spots can be equipped with screens to prevent people from sneezing or coughing towards fellow commuters.
-> Leaning spots in a train. Designed by Puur & Ruimte for NS (2017)