Utility vehicles get anti-Covid 19 dividers

Leading truck body builder Centro Manufacturing Corporation announced that it has developed anti-Covid 19 dividers for the utility vehicles it manufactures.

It is now also developing this for its modern PUVs. These dividers will be installed at any of its three production facilities in Novaliches, Cavite and Marilao.

Sold in the aftermarket as ready-to-install kits, these anti-Covid 19 dividers may also be retrofitted easily on any existing UV or PUV as only clamps are used and no drillings are required.

Centro Senior Sales Manager Vic Belisario says that these dividers are fully compliant to the requirements of the Land Transportation Office for UVs and PUVs to operate during the quarantine period.

“The divider material is non-permeable, transparent plastic and the dividers are installed conforming to physical distancing. They may be installed one seat apart or even at less than one meter apart. The LTO guidelines allow PUJ operators to install impermeable barriers between rows of seats that are less than one meter apart if they wish to maximize the 50% passenger load”.

The anti-Covid 19 dividers were designed to separate the driver from the passenger at his right side and those passengers behind him. At the rear, the dividers will separate the passengers from each other in conformance to social distancing requirements.

“As the pandemic situation improves and more and more UVs and PUVs are allowed to operate, we see the need for these UVs and PUVs to have dividers. This makes them perfect as the vehicle solution to mass transport and the shuttle requirements of offices and factories,” Belisario adds.

After more than two months of quarantine which was first implemented on March 17, the Metro Manila Council has unanimously agreed for NCR to transition from Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine to General Community Quarantine by June 1, 2020.

This is expected to restart the economy and most businesses like SMEs, manufacturing and services industries will all gear up for resumption of operations. The workforce will all return to work and mass transport will have to be ready to accommodate them.

In preparation for this, the LTO has issued guidelines on the operation of land transport in quarantine areas. This specified the use of anti-Covid 19 dividers in public transport, among others.

Belisario adds that the design of the divider is simple enough to allow for regular disinfecting.

“Its simple design and easy installation also allow the dividers to be easily disassembled when the UV is to be used for cargo loading. Thus, the UV can be used as a cargo and passenger vehicle on weekdays and family transporter on weekends.”

“We are happy that the anti-Covid 19 dividers that we developed will help ensure the safety and health not only of the driver but the commuting public as well. We intend to protect our intellectual property rights over this innovative product so we will have it patented”.