Centro Manufacturing, a truck body builder in the Philippines, says it now is producing dividers for public utility vehicles (PUVs) to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The company said in a statement that interested PUV drivers and operators can install its anti-COVID-19 dividers at Centro production facilities in Cavite, Novaliches, and Marilao, Bulacan. The dividers also can be retrofitted on existing vehicles without any drilling.
“The divider material is non-permeable, transparent plastic, and the dividers are installed conforming to physical distancing,” said Vic Belisario, Centro sales manager. “They may be installed one seat apart or even at less than one meter apart.”
PUVs now are allowed to operate as the Philippines government eases quarantine restrictions, Centro said, but only with reduced capacity in order to encourage social distancing.
The company also said it plans to pursue a patent to protect its “innovative” product.
“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,” Belisario maintained. “This makes them perfect as the vehicle solution to mass transport and the shuttle requirements of offices and factories.”