“We’ve got to work together to fight this”

By timesecholife on in All News, Community News

A taxi firm in the Moorlands has been providing free transport to vaccine appointments for elderly residents. Cheadle Link Taxis, based in Tape Street, which is part of Leek Link Taxis, is offering free journeys to vaccination centres for the elderly in both towns.

A taxi firm in the Moorlands has been providing free transport to vaccine appointments for elderly residents.

Cheadle Link Taxis, based in Tape Street, which is part of Leek Link Taxis, is offering free journeys to vaccination centres for the elderly in both towns.

A chance conversation with a customer prompted owner Eddie Sabir, to provide the service, which started on Monday, January 11.

Just a day later, Eddie’s uncle, Mohammad Sadiq, aged 85, passed away after becoming ill with Covid-19 on Christmas Eve.

Eddie said: “It’s been a really tough time. My uncle was admitted to hospital on Christmas Eve and I was told he had passed away on Tuesday last week. It plays on my mind that if the vaccine had been rolled out a bit sooner, he would still be with us.

“It really brought home how important it is to help people access the vaccine. We’ve got to work together to fight this.

“I had a driver ring me up on Friday, he’d taken a passenger for a vaccine appointment at JCB in Cheadle and when he arrived there was a line of elderly people standing outside.

“He rang to ask if he could wait with her so she could stay in the car instead of waiting in the cold and the wind. It’s just about caring and looking after people.”

It was a passing comment about getting older people to vaccine appointments that sparked the idea for Eddie, who is offering free journeys for elderly people living in Leek and Cheadle, with half price transport for elderly residents in surrounding villages.

Eddie added: “I just thought there would be a lot of older people who can’t get transport and I wanted to do something for them. I don’t want anyone not to have their jab because they can’t get there.

“I wanted to give older people the reassurance and support that we will get them to their appointment.

“We had a lady who was nearly 100 years old, with bandaged legs who was worried how she would get to her appointment. We have a wheelchair friendly taxi, so we were able to help her.

“We’re still paying our drivers, because we don’t want them to lose out, so the company is funding this service.

“It has been effective and we’ve had great support from across the community.

“All I want to say is, if anybody is struggling, please get in touch with us. Don’t be shy, we’re here to help.”

1 Comment

• Wonderful community spirit. You deserve to come out the other side of this pandemic with your business going from strength to strength.
  Written by linda.hope@live.co.uk, January 21, 2021 - Reply

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