General community quarantine (GCQ) in the Metro begins today, June 1. Although the designation lifts certain restrictions on mass transportation, commuting in the National Capital Region (NCR) is far from normal, as sanitation and social distancing guidelines remain in place, which is expected to severely reduce the capacity of Metro transport systems.
Prior to ECQ and the COVID-19 crisis, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) reported that at the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) alone averages a total of 276,128 passengers a day. And that’s just a small part of the millions of commuters traveling through the Metro daily.
With all Metro trains reduced to 10 to 12 percent operating capacity, you could probably already imagine the commuting hell that this would cause.
To support the DOTR’s efforts on ensuring there’s enough safe public transport to go around, Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI) is modifying its H-100 vans with COVID-19-ready features.
Dubbed as the “Ligtas Biyahe” vans, updates designed to uphold the government’s safety guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic include individualized seating, which replaces the usual bench-type seating so that social distancing measures can be enforced. The vans also have transparent plastic dividers separating each passenger. Special disinfectant dispensers and antimicrobial floor mats have also been installed.
The first four prototype vans being handed to the DOTr are meant to support the agency’s Libreng Sakay for Frontliners program. The vans will be on loan to the government agency for three months.
Hyundai’s COVID-19 vans will also have commercial-use versions which will have a front and back contactless payment system supplied by Beep.
HARI is preparing some Covid-19 vans to join Hatid Estudyante. Launched last May 16, the program aimsto bring home over 9,000 students who were stranded in Metro Manila since the mid-March declaration of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
“In just a few weeks since its conceptualization, we were able to manufacture vehicles that are not only safe, efficient, and convenient, but enabled for contact-less transactions,” said HARI President and CEO Maria Fe Perez-Agudo.
“These ‘Ligtas Biyahe’ vehicles underscore our pledge to ensure the health and safety of our customers in these challenging times. Employees, businesses, and the riding public can have peace of mind when they ride our vehicles,” she added.
Perez-Agudo furthered that Hyundai PH is keeping an eye and ear out for any developments that would help the company “assist customers and the general public” as the country moves to the ‘New Normal’ way of life.
Photos from Hyundai Philippines
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