The five-tonne Ford Transit, converted to a riot van in partnership with blue light transport specialist Safeguard SVP, has gone into service as a Protected Personnel Carrier (PPC) with police forces nationwide.
Ford has a contract to supply forces with 100 of the vehicles each year for the next four years. The vehicles are being converted to a new UK specification by Safeguard SVP, working as Ford’s Qualified Vehicle Modifying partner.
Each vehicle can carry up to ten police officers, or nine when specified with a fixed or removable single-containment cell. Equipment such as riot shields and personal protection equipment bags can be carried in additional storage areas.
The PPC conversion needs extra weight-bearing protection on the roof, underbody and around parts such as the fuel tank, radiator and exhaust system. Other equipment includes an under-bonnet fire suppression system and run-flat tyres. Special protective glass is used for the windscreen and side windows, while mesh guards are fitted to the rear light clusters.
The higher payload of the five-tonne Transit brings uprated components. These include upgraded hub assemblies, wheels and wider rear tyres as well as uprated rear brakes. Reinforced upper body structures and ancillaries help to support higher payloads.
All five-tonne Transit models feature rear-wheel-drive, Ford’s 170hp 2.0-litre diesel engine and a choice of six-speed manual or ten-speed automatic transmission. The heaviest model in the Transit range was launched in autumn 2020.
The Transit PPC was first seen in the UK at the Emergency Services Show in September and will be featured at the National Association of Police Fleet Managers exhibition at Telford later this month.
The PPC supply tender was run by BlueLight Commercial, set up by the Home Office in 2020 to work with blue-light organisations and suppliers. The tender is also open to police forces operating in British territories overseas.
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