Taxi drivers care about the communities they serve – and nothing shows this better than helping people without expecting anything in return.
Among the numerous acts of kindness, London’s taxi drivers are famous for offering free lifts to veterans commemorating Remembrance Sunday in the capital.
Medication
And now, taxi drivers in Staffordshire have been offering free rides to passengers needing to pick up prescriptions due to the lack of local pharmacies open on Sundays.
Organised by Leek Link Taxis and Biddulph Late Night Pharmacy, the service has been operating at three set times during the day during a trial in July and August.
It ran from Leek, where there are no pharmacies open on Sundays, to nearby Biddulph to allow people with acute health conditions to get their medication.
The BBC reports that resident Dave Swarbrook came up with the idea after years of being asked which pharmacies were open in Leek on a Sunday and approached Leek Link Taxis owner Eddie Sabir.
He said: “I think it’s fair to say that we don’t have a lot of Biddulph and Leek collaborations so it’s a little bit of pioneering.”
Pattern
Mr Sabir told the BBC he had noticed that more customers were travelling to pharmacies in Biddulph or Stoke-on-Trent on Sundays, and was happy to be able to help.
He said: “We thought that maybe we can do something together to get people up there and make it accessible for everybody.”
People who wanted to use the service had to contact Biddulph Late Night Pharmacy to make a booking.
Biddulph Late Night Pharmacy manager Muhammad Shuaib agreed there had been an increase of people from Leek coming to Biddulph on a Sunday. He said most of them had an acute or emergency problem and a prescription for medication they needed urgently.
He said: “There’s an immediate need for them. They can’t wait until Monday.”
Cllr Martin Rogerson, of Staffordshire County Council, told the BBC: “Although a Sunday dispensary is available at nearby pharmacists or walk-in centres and major injuries units, it is always good to see businesses supporting their local communities.”
Reliable
One of the key things a passenger looks for in a taxi operator is reliability. They need to have confidence that when they make a booking, they know it will arrive on time to collect them and get them to their destination safely and comfortably.
By offering this free service, Leek Link Taxis shows it cares about the community – some of the people using the service might not have been customers – and can be relied on to get people where they need to go.
This simple act of kindness has made a big difference to people who rely on medication for their health and means they can collect their prescriptions and get on with their day without having a sizeable fare – between £22 and £27 for the 18-minute trip – to pay each way.
And this is at a time when taxi drivers and operators are facing rising costs including fuel, licensing fees and taxi insurance.
Well done to Leek Link Taxis and Biddulph Late Night Pharmacy for going that extra mile to make a difference in the community. In the absence of a pharmacy opening on in Leek on Sundays, hopefully the authorities will be able to step in and make the shuttle a regular service that benefits everyone.
