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Addison Lee follows Uber with discounted COVID-19 vaccine cabs

Addison Lee is speaking to government and local health trusts to explore how its 4,000-strong fleet can be used to deliver “more targeted, tailored” support, it said. Photo: Reuters/Toby Melville
Addison Lee is speaking to government and local health trusts to explore how its 4,000-strong fleet can be used to deliver “more targeted, tailored” support, it said. Photo: Reuters/Toby Melville

Car service provider Addison Lee said it will offer a 25% discount on rides for customers traveling to and from three vaccination hubs, following a similar initiative launched by Uber (UBER) earlier this week.

The company, which said it is pledging to support the UK’s vaccination effort, said it expects to provide discounts totalling more than £200,000 ($273,315) between now and Easter, based on anticipated volumes and demand for the jab.

The offer can be used not just by those travelling to get vaccinated, but also volunteers who have signed up to support the rollout.

However, the discount, for which the code is DRIVE 25, can only be used for those traveling to hubs at the Excel Centre, Wembley Olympic Office Centre and the Epsom Racecourse. In comparison, Uber’s discount is valid for travel to seven hubs.

Addison Lee said its COVID-19 safety measures includes safety screens in every car and trained drivers who clean touch-points after every journey.

The company’s ‘Vaccination Drive’ will continue over the coming months, in an effort to help the government reach its targets for the first phase of vaccinations.

In comparison, Uber’s offer is only valid until the end of February.

Addison Lee is also speaking to government and local health trusts to explore how its 4,000-strong fleet can be used to deliver “more targeted, tailored” support, it said.

READ MORE: Uber offers free trips to customers travelling to get COVID-19 vaccine

Earlier in the year, the company’s ‘Donate a Ride’ campaign saw over 9,000 free rides provided to NHS workers on the frontline.

Liam Griffin, CEO of Addison Lee: “While we do our bit by staying at home, there is an army of NHS staff and volunteers out there working tirelessly to roll out the vaccination programme. Coupled with the lockdown measures, the vaccination provides the country with the best chance of getting through this pandemic and we want to support that effort.

“We all want to get through this lockdown and open London up again in the safest possible way, and we hope that our support for the vaccination programme will inch us a little closer to that goal,” he added.

Addison Lee states it carries around 7 million passengers and makes over 2 million deliveries via its courier service across London every year, adding that its service is used by 80% of FTSE100 (^FTSE) firms.

Earlier this week, Uber said it will cover a maximum of £15 for trips taken to one of seven mass-vaccination centres across the UK.

READ MORE: Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna to rake in $15bn from COVID-19 vaccines sales by 2023

The COVID-19 vaccine is currently being given to those aged 70 and over; those who live or work in care homes; health and social care workers at high risk; and those clinically considered extremely vulnerable.

The government said on Tuesday that more than 4 million people in the UK have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine “as part of the largest vaccination programme in British history.”

The NHS vaccinated 4.06 million people between 8 December and 17 January, including more than half of those aged 80 and over and more than half of elderly care home residents.

This is more than double the number of vaccinations, per person per day, than any European country and is a significant step towards hitting prime minister Boris Johnson’s target of offering vaccines to the top 4 priority groups by the middle of February, the Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement.

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