Go Carz go the extra mile throughout pandemic
Shropshire’s largest taxi and private hire vehicle operator Go Carz has been working relentlessly over the last 12 months to ensure driver partners and their passengers have been able to travel safely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as lifting spirits through several community-led initiatives.
As the UK went into its first national lockdown, Go Carz was one of the first companies to introduce stringent health and hygiene measures to protect both driver partners and their passengers to ease any concerns about travelling for essential journeys.
The measures, designed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, included the introduction of specialist cleaning regimes, in-vehicle protective screens, and making more than a quarter of a million free face coverings available to driver partners for their own personal use while driving.
Cashless payments
Understanding the challenges of the pandemic, Go Carz launched its ‘You Click, We Collect’ service in March 2020. The company also introduced text message payment solution AirPay making cashless payments available on all bookings.
Graham Hoof, Regional Director of Go Carz, said: “It’s important to us that during a difficult year we were still able to support our local community, whether that was by taking them to get essential shopping, dropping off prescriptions or brightening up their week with their favourite takeaway.”
In addition to its delivery services, and in a show of solidarity during this challenging time, Go Carz launched a 20% discount on fares for all frontline NHS staff and carers.
Local charity support
Further community initiatives saw Go Carz donate to local charities Shrewsbury Guide Dogs for the blind and partially sighted, and The Little Rascals Foundation which offers family play sessions, after school and holiday clubs for children with disabilities in the local area.
In the early part of 2021, Go Carz supported the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine by working with Teldoc, Shropshire’s first super practice, offering free rides to elderly and vulnerable patients to their vaccination appointment. This gesture of goodwill provided a COVID-safe private hire journey to and from the vaccination centre.
Graham Hoof said: “The effects of the pandemic haven’t been easy for anyone and it’s the driver partners that often hear first-hand the difficulties people in our local communities face. However, driver partners should be recognised too.
"We’re delighted to see how quickly and well they adapted to the situation and thank them for their continued hard work and commitment during this time. We look forward to regaining some normality and a brighter second half of 2021”.
