Ford is adding a new range of protection shields to its official accessories for the Transit, Transit Custom and Tourneo Custom passenger carrying models. Designed and tested to help with social distancing inside these essential commercial vehicles, as well as meet all Ford’s durability and safety standards, the protection shields are available to order now.
This is all in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Additional shields for the smaller Transit Connect, Tourneo Connect and Transit Courier will follow later in 2020.
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How do the Ford van protection shields work?
Made from transparent PVC plastic, they attach in four different configurations – depending on the vehicle – and are mounted using straps and suction cups, so require no modification to fit.
They’ve been designed to work with existing safety features, including airbags, and are said to ‘not restrict passenger comfort, interior space or operation of the heating and ventilation systems.’
Fitting is claimed to be quick and easy, they can be simply cleaned as part of whatever hygiene routine operators have already put in place, and they can be packed down and stored as necessary as well.
Visibility through the windscreen is supposedly unaffected, and passengers will still be able to talk to each other as normal, too.
The idea is that the shields will make using school buses, patient transfer, accessible transport and taxis services a little more straightforward, though Ford suggests they should be used in addition to existing PPE (personal protective equipment) measures rather than instead of them.
What are the fitting locations?
In order to work with vehicles with different numbers of passenger seats, the Ford protection shields are designed to go in the following places:
- > 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
How much do the Ford protection shields cost and where are they sold?
Prices start from £73 (including VAT), and you can buy them from your local Ford dealer or the Ford Online Shop.
As an official Ford accessory they come with a Ford warranty. Watch them in action in the video below.
Also read:
>> Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for van and pickup drivers
>> Our main Ford Transit Custom review
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