Whilst the country goes in to lockdown due to the Coronavirus crisis some leading transport companies are offering discounted rides to get NHS workers to work.
From discounted trips from taxi firms to free parking, there are plenty of options for frontline staff to take advantage of as normal transport links offer limited services.
The discounts follow a number of clothing stores, take-away restaurants and even coffee shops offering free hot drinks and discounts on food to our NHS staff to say thanks for their hard work during the Covid-19 outbreak.
So all blue line card holders and NHS staff can rely on the following companies to ensure you carry on getting to work safe and supporting the nation during this difficult time.
JustPark
JustPark has launched a nationwide appeal to increase the number of free parking spaces near hospitals by allowing the general public to list spaces for free via their app.
700 spaces were listed for free at over 150 hospitals and health centres over the weekend.
The aim is to ease pressure on NHS staff and patients with more parking options and to help them avoid using public transport to and from the hospital.
The app will not be levying any fees from the listings, in order to say a huge thank you to NHS workers and a ‘get better soon’ to patients.
To make a free listing for hospital or healthcare parking, visit the JustPark website at: www.justpark.com/about/coronavirus-appeal
FreeNow
The UK’s leading black cab app, FreeNow, is offering 50% off cabs for all NHS staff in order to ensure that those on the front line can get to and from hospitals safely and quickly.
FreeNow together with London’s cabbies has extended its “NHS Heroes” booking option to now offer 50% off black cabs for NHS workers in London. The initiative aims to allow anyone working for the NHS in London to get to and from hospitals safely and quickly.
With cabbies being integral in keeping London moving, FreeNow has developed tech to specifically enable reduced prices for NHS workers with its new “NHS Heroes” booking option.
The initiative follows a survey of black cab drivers that use the FREE NOW app, where an overwhelming 97% wanted to offer their support for NHS workers during this crisis.
FreeNow Cabbies are also working with the Mayor’s office to get rough sleepers into hotels for social distancing, and have written to the Cabinet Office to explore what more can be done to support NHS staff.
FreeNow is offering a similar service in Spain and looking at how this can be rolled out to the 10 countries it operates in across Europe. The NHS heroes booking option is available for all NHS workers and will run in the FreeNow app for the foreseeable future.
Brompton Bike
Brompton Bike Hire is offering free bike hire to all NHS staff during the Coronavirus pandemic.
All NHS staff will be able to access a free bike from the scheme’s 50+ hubs nationwide, including Whittington Hospital, North London.
Brompton Bike Hire MD, Julian Scrivens, said: “We want to do all we can to support as many of our brave NHS staff as possible during this unprecedented time."
"We know many struggle to get to and from hospitals and health centres, especially night time staff as transport options become more limited. We can only be a tiny piece in this huge puzzle but hope the 30 days of free hire allows staff to travel at all hours safely.”
The brand has already welcomed NHS staff across London, Manchester, Bristol and Oxford into the free scheme.
Locations of bike hire hubs can be found on the company’s website. NHS workers should sign up online first to access the scheme.
Brompton Bike Hire membership is usually £25. NHS workers can sign up for £1 - a security fee which is immediately credited back into their Brompton Hire account.
Veygo by Admiral
Veygo by Admiral has announced that NHS staff will get 75% off their car insurance policy.
Jean-Baptiste Limare, CEO of Veygo says that as a nation we are "indebted to the amazing frontline NHS staff" and as a number of the Veygo team has family members working in the NHS, they wanted to "pay it forward by showing we've got them covered, as they have us."
It's hoped that if public transport services continue to be reduced or canclled altogether, NHS workers will still be able to get to work safely.
NHS staff wishing to take advantage of the offer should email a copy of their NHS staff badge to contact@veygo.com along with their insurance policy number to arrange a 75% refund on the policy cost.
Halfords
Halfords is offering a Free Ten Point Car Check , normally worth £15, to all NHS frontline workers during the Coronavirus pandemic.
All NHS frontline staff will be able to claim the full safety check at most Halfords retail store or Autocentre from today.
The checks, which includes top-ups of tyre inflation, screen wash and checks on oil levels, headlights and brake lights, are intended to help keep vital NHS workers moving at this critical time.
Graham Stapleton, Halfords CEO says: “Now more than ever workers in the NHS need our help and support. Our research shows how vital their cars are in getting to and from work, so we want to do our bit and help the extraordinary healthcare workers who are doing an incredibly trying job at the most difficult of times.”
To redeem the offer NHS frontline workers will just need to show their NHS Staff ID card to any colleague at a Halfords or Halfords Autocentres.
NCP Car Parks
NHS workers can access this offer directly via the NCP website, www.ncp.co.uk, when pre-booking their space each time they need to park.
Just enter the code: NHSFREE , which is automatically applied when you book through the website.
This incredible gesture is available at 150 locations across the UK and available to book any time up to an hour before arrival into the car park.
The offer will run until 23:59pm on 30 April, when the situation will then be reviewed.
Ola
Ola has announced that it will offer NHS workers in the UK 50% off their rides to and from work as they care for patients impacted by COVID-19 and work tirelessly to halt the spread of the virus.
NHS staff will receive 50% off their rides when they sign up to Ola using an NHS email address. This offer will be available for the first 10 rides and will initially run for a period of 15 days until the 7th April. As a business, Ola will continue to keep the offer under review and will extend the scheme depending on the situation.
The app can be downloaded from Google Play store and Apple app store.
Ola has also recognised that this is a challenging and uncertain period for their driver-partners and want to make clear that Ola is there to support them over the coming weeks.
That is why Ola have extended their 0% commission rate for another month in London, so their drivers can rest assured they take home 100% of what they earn.
Jump
From the people that brought you Uber, Jump e-bikes are proud to offer free rides to all NHS staff.
Jump operates in the London boroughs of Camden, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea and Hackney, covering eight large NHS Trusts with tens of thousands of NHS staff.
They are working closely with councils to ensure that all NHS workers in these areas are able to travel quickly and safely to work, free of charge.
To access the bike, if your Uber account is registered with your NHS address, there is nothing else you need to do, you are now ready to ride.
If your account is registered with a non‑NHS address, let Jump know through this link, and they'll apply credits to your account. You’ll receive an email from Jump when your free rides are ready.
Your account will be credited with 50 free trips, up to a maximum value of £10 per trip.
