28,000 people will be able to get free rides to the vaccination centres.
Since the first mass vaccination centres in England opened last week, more and more people have been able to get the coronavirus vaccine – pushing the total number of vaccinated people to over 4 million, as of yesterday. Now, Uber is stepping in to help the vaccine effort, as they’ve announced free door-to-door trips to help whisk people to their vaccination appointment.
The company is making 28,000 rides available, but there are a few conditions imposed. For starters, each trip must either begin or end at one of the seven initial mass vaccination sites unveiled (ten more opened earlier this week, and are not included in the deal), and the free rides cover trips up to £15. Trips which require wheelchair-accessible vehicles and assistance for passengers will be included in the deal.
Each of the vaccination centres has a unique code, with each Uber user only able to use one of the codes. The codes are as follows: Excel Centre (NHS Nightingale) in London (UberUKEX), Etihad Tennis Centre in Manchester (UberUKET), Millennium Point in Birmingham (UberUKMP), Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol (UberUKAG), Centre for Life in Newcastle (UberUKCL), Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey (UberUKED), and Robertson House in Stevenage (UberUKRH).
Uber is also working with Age UK to offer free round trips for older people, which will be assigned through local charities. Though the codes are available for use by the general public, remember that you’ll need to have been issued an NHS appointment for one of these mass vaccination centres in order to get the vaccine. And of course, if you’re able to get there safely and easily by other means, do consider taking those and saving the free rides for those in real need of them.