Uber is to give away 200,000 free trips and 100,000 meals to NHS staff serving on the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The company said that from Monday it will cover workers’ meals and journeys in order to help reduce the pressure on the “heroes” helping affected patients.
The move comes days after it was reported that the number of people who died in the UK after contracting the virus had passed 1,000.
Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi hopes the free trips will be a “small way” to help the nurses, doctors and support staff of the NHS as they work “tirelessly” day and night.
The service will commit 200,000 free trips up to a value of £15 each while Uber Eats will cover the staff with a £10 voucher they can use to buy a meal from restaurants and convenience stores in more than 150 towns and cities across the UK.
The free rides and meals can be claimed by anyone with an NHS email address by signing up on Uber’s website.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who announced he had tested positive for the virus on Friday, said: “Everyone has a role to play in our national effort to help the NHS tackle coronavirus, so it’s great to see Uber playing their part by offering meals and trips to work for our brilliant NHS staff.”
NHS workers in London can also use Uber’s Jump bikes free of charge to get to and from work.
Jump operates in the London boroughs of Camden, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea and Hackney, covering eight large NHS trusts.
