Ford introduces barriers to commercial vehicles for physical distancing

Fleet and business owners will love Ford’s new accessory, as the Blue Oval announced new easy-to-install protection shields designed to provide a barrier between occupants and help businesses adhere to social distancing requirements.

The new protective shields are now part of Ford’s official accessories range, and will be available for the brand’s line of Transit/Tourneo vans and people movers, including those being used as a school bus, ambulance, and taxi service.

The transparent shields are made of clear, lightweight and heavy-duty polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and integrated with straps to allow for easy installation and dismantling. Once in place, the shields are also easy to sanitize, so operators can simply clean them as part of their interior disinfecting procedures without removing them.

The shields are secured in place via removable suction cups that attach to window interiors. Should the need arise to remove the shields to make way for more space, the convenient design allows the accessory to be stored flatly, thus taking up very little precious space.

According to Ford, the shields can be utilized to complement existing personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation protocols, with the flexibility to allow four different configurations and applications in four fitting locations:

• Between driver and front passenger seats
• Behind front seats to partition from the rest of the cabin
• Between driver and front passenger and behind front seats
• Between and behind driver and front passenger, and between second row seats

The shields are also designed to be unobtrusive to interior space or operation of the heating and ventilation systems. The clear, pliable material also doesn’t hamper vision and voice, allowing the driver to have full visibility of the windscreen, side windows and mirrors, while passengers can still hear and see each other as normal.

Ford assures that all the shields have undergone rigorous safety, quality, and durability testing to ensure they meet the most stringent quality standards, adding that these will soon be able to order through Ford dealers as well as via the Ford Online Shop in selected markets.

Initially available for the Transit/Torneo Custom, Ford is also planning to build shields for the Transit/Tourneo Connect and Transit/Tourneo Courier. The additional shields are expected to be available later this year.

Ford Philippines begun the reopening of a large number of its dealerships in its network mid-May, while observing strict sanitation and distancing protocols to ensure the safety of its customers.

Photo/s from Ford

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