City receives safer, customized Honda vehicles to take Detroiters to testing site

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Honda is providing a fleet of customized vehicles to the city to take Detroiters to the State Fairgrounds for COVID-19 testing as safely as possible.

During the first week of May, the City of Detroit began providing transportation for Detroiters who needed a ride to the testing site. When calling for an appointment, residents only needed to tell the operator they needed transportation and they were connected to a service.

Honda donates customized vehicles to transport Detroiters for COVID-19 testing

The City of Detroit is offering a new, safer transportation option to people who can't get to the fairgrounds site for COVID-19 testing, thanks to Honda.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Tuesday that they are providing 200 rides a week. But cab drivers, while both the drivers and the patients had masks and there were intense cleaning protocols, were concerned about sharing a small space with those who were potentially infected.

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“(It) has been a source of some uneasiness but it was the best that we could do, but then Honda stepped forward,” he said.

Honda provided 10 customized vehicles with protective polycarbonate barriers and modified ventilation systems, said Rick Schostek, executive vice president of Honda North America. They also have a leather interior that’s easier to clean after each use.

“We’ll be looking forward to quick feedback on how this is going here in the city of Detroit ... We are defintely open to speaking to other municipalities about similar opportunities,” Schostek said.