A Bristol taxi company is offering free rides to elderly and vulnerable people to their coronavirus vaccination, to make it easier for people to get the jab.
V Cars have teamed up with GP surgeries across the city to offer the rides, and have reassured those considering the offer that their vehicles have been made 'covid-secure' with screens and regular cleaning regimes.
The taxi company, which is Bristol's biggest private hire firm and operates out of four bases in the city, said it wanted to do its bit to make sure everyone eligible for the vaccine is able to get one.
GP surgery staff are the ones to decide if someone is eligible for the free ride to the place where the vaccinations are happening, and will offer the service to people who have no other realistic way of getting there.
"V Cars are working with participating GP practices to offer rides only to those eligible persons who have been invited to make a vaccination appointment, if they have no other means of transport," a spokesperson for the firm explained.
"The offer provides a COVID-safe private hire journey to the vaccination centre, and the patient has the option to book a safe journey home too.
"For ease, the telephone operators at the participating GP surgeries will co-ordinate the free journey with the V Cars dispatch centre using a dedicated web-based booking system. The system is designed to ensure that only the eligible persons who need it get access to the free rides," she added. "The gesture of goodwill will benefit the elderly and vulnerable within the local community who, without V Cars help, their vaccination may have been delayed," she said.
Back at the start of the pandemic, V Cars offered a 20 per cent discount to NHS staff, and said they were among the first to bring in Covid-secure measures to their vehicles.
V Cars' regional director Jack Price said the free rides were only available arranged through the GP when the actual vaccination appointment is booked.
"In these first few weeks of the programme, we are helping to assist the first wave of people get their vaccinations," he said.
"For those who don’t have another means of transport we want to help our local community beat COVID. We don’t want to bring any additional pressure on the NHS or GP practices and it’s vital that people do not call their GPs or NHS asking about free rides. Our offer is strictly on appointment only for those persons who are eligible.”
“We are also exploring the option of fixed rates and reduced fares for future waves of people who are invited for their vaccination. Even if you are not eligible for the free journey, we may be able to help you. This might be a useful option as public transport services are being reduced.”
