When you're working hundreds of miles from the nearest village, deep in rocky nothingness, the last thing you want to deal with is a highly contagious disease — it's been difficult enough in cities and suburbs. Torsus has launched a new solution for keeping remote operations running smoothly in the COVID-19 era. Its Praetorian 4x4 bus is already among the best ways of escaping population densities, and now it aims to help prevent sickness spreading amongst passengers using a modular "Anti-COVID-19" seating package.
Cities, mobility providers, government agencies and vehicle designers the world over are rethinking public transportation in reaction to the pandemic. The old paradigm of packing people inside a train or bus right up to maximum capacity is no longer a viable option, and we're seeing alternative solutions like the pandemic-grade seating of the Arrival bus.
Remote operations far outside cities aren't immune to pandemics, either, and while there might only be a tiny fraction of the number of people involved, they can still end up in very close working quarters, spreading illnesses in a hurry. To compound the issue, they're likely isolated well away from appropriate healthcare infrastructure.
Torsus relies on the modular construction of its Praetorian off-road bus cabin to create an alternative layout designed specifically to meet international social distancing guidelines. Instead of packing 37 seats into two-seat rows on both sides of the aisle plus a five-seat row in back, the Anti-COVID-19 social distancing pack pulls out the rear row and replaces the double-seat side rows with single coach seats. A series of 3.5-mm plastic dividers affixed to the floor rails on each side of the aisle keeps passengers separated into single-seat pods.
Beyond helping to prevent virus spread, the seat shuffling creates comfy VIP-like pods that look much more comfortable for traveling back from a long day of muscle-inflaming fieldwork, especially for those who don't really feel like chatting.
Torsus' modular design makes for an effective temporary solution, allowing business operators to add seats back to full 37-passenger capacity after health worries abate. The switchover doesn't require any new drilling or permanent damage. In addition to offering the Anti-COVID-19 package for new orders, Torsus says existing Praetorian buses around the world can be retrofitted.
Source: Torsus