Hyundai deploys first covid-ready vehicle to support DOTr’s libreng sakay

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official distributor of the country’s leading Korean automotive brand, turned over its first COVID-ready vehicles to bolster the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) response to the mobility needs of front liners under the New Normal.

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The first four prototypes will be on loan to the DOTr for three months for the agency’s Libreng Sakay for Frontliners.

Hyundai developed a special COVID-ready model lineup for its best-selling H-100 Shuttle, HD36 Shuttle, and Modern Jeepney HD50S Class 2. Said units have been declared highly-compliant with the DOTR’s guidelines for the transport sector under EECQ/GCQ.

New features include individualized seating in lieu of the standard bench-type seats to comply with maximum capacity; transparent plastic dividers; and special dispensers and floor mats for immediate on-the-go sanitation. The units designed for commercial use are also installed with a front and back contactless payment system.

Libreng Sakay currently has 20 defined routes with designated drop-off and pick-up points for medical workers.

The company is also joining Hatid Estudyante. Launched last May 16, it aims to bring home over 9,000 students who were stranded in Metro Manila since the mid-March declaration of the ECQ. 

As regards road-worthiness, it is to be recalled that Hyundai’s Modern Jeepneys H-100 Class 1 and HD50S Class 2 already received their Certificates of Compliance (COC) from the DOTr late last year; while the HD50S Class 3 Modern Jeepney, which debuted in January 2020, was poised to undergo the Department’s stringent testing.

“Since we began our commercial vehicle business in 2016, we strongly supported PUV Modernization. The situation, however, has drastically changed and we have quickly adapted our vehicles in order to keep on serving the public. 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.

The HARI chief reiterated that the company continues to closely monitor developments in the country in order to develop new ways to assist customers and the general public as the country transitions to the New Normal lifestyle.

“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 furthered.

In the meantime, H.A.R.I. Foundation’s Biyahe ng Bayani continues to roll out support for HARI’s partners in health in NCR, Northern and Southern Luzon. Hyundai Motor Company, through H.A.R.I. Foundation’s Biyahe ng Bayani recently donated a fresh supply of personal protective equipment (PPEs) to the Lung Center of the Philippines.