Portsmouth taxi firm Airport Expert offers free rides to those getting Covid vaccinations
A TAXI company in Portsmouth is running a campaign to help the NHS and the community through its vaccination programme.
Airport Expert is offering people a free ride to their vaccination appointments.
It is for anyone who lives in PO1-PO11 postcodes who has a jab booked at a local vaccination centre and is struggling to make travel arrangements.
The campaign is being fully funded by the taxi company itself, but it is welcoming donations to the scheme.
Liviu Topala, marketing and operations director said: ‘The community is really pulling together at the moment and this is just our bit to help out those who need it. It’s great to see so many people getting vaccinated but it can be a worry for people who are unable to travel to their appointment and maybe can’t afford to do so or are faced with no transport at the last minute. We feel it’s important to make sure everyone can get their vaccinations.
‘We really hope this scheme will be followed by other taxi companies.’
The team has been working hard throughout the pandemic to do what it can to give back to people and organisations in the community.
One of the initiatives it has been doing is donating £5 from every taxi ride to Spark Community Space – a charity which helps people spark back into life and integrate back into the community.
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It also works with the University of Portsmouth offering international students half price airport runs, in a bid to encourage more people from abroad to study at the university.
Liviu said: ‘We have only been operating for two years and we want to be a part of the community. Lots of businesses have helped us throughout the last two years, so we want to give back where we can.
‘Covid has hit us all hard and there are so many amazing people doing things in Portsmouth, so it is important that we all show support in whatever ways we can.’
The firm, which is one of only three taxi companies recommended by Portsmouth City Council, is one of the Federation of Small Businesses’ sustainability ambassadors and has bagged three awards for its services over the last two years.
Its fleet is fully made up of executive new cars, with all its drivers uniformed and cabs can be booked at airportexpert.co.uk