OUR TRADE HEROES
During all kinds of adversity - whether terrorist attacks, the Grenfell Tower disaster, or bad weather conditions – we are always very proud to report on the heroic and charitable acts carried out by taxi and private hire drivers. And there are plenty of those all over the coun- try, as shown on these pages. You’ve brought a lot of comfort, and no doubt saved a few lives.
BIRMINGHAM DRIVER TAKES STRANDED WELSH COUPLE HOME
A private hire driver has been hailed a hero after taking a stranded couple on a 120-mile trip home to Wales after they became trapped in the snow. Wahid Rehman took Wendy and John O’Connor from New Street Station in Birmingham all the way to Barry Island when no other drivers would be- cause of the treacherous weather. The grateful couple said Wahid, who works for Victoria Cars, was an “amaz- ing man” after coming to their aid after embarking on the seven-hour round-trip through horrific conditions. Wahid said: “It was the longest and scariest taxi journey I’ve made - but I’m glad they got home safely.” Wendy and John had to cut short their holiday in Portugal due to a family emergency and the only flight they could get took them into Birmingham. They arrived at Birm- ingham Airport at 5pm on Thursday 1 March and got to New Street Station where they discov- ered they had missed the last train
54 Wahid Rehman
to Cardiff. So they decided to get a train to Shrewsbury, hoping to catch a connection to Car- diff. But that had been cancelled due to the snow and by now it was 10pm so they stayed over- night in a hotel in Shrewsbury. On Friday morning they got up and went back to New Street, hoping to go to Cardiff, but were told due to the snow there were no trains running. Instead the pair headed to Digbeth Coach Station but were told coaches to Cardiff had also been cancelled, Birmingham Live reported. Wendy, who is in her 50s, said: “By now I was really upset and frantic because we had to get back for personal reasons and also because I’m
a florist and I had a wedding to prepare for on the Saturday.” She said her hus- band started ringing round local cab firms but none of them were interested, and those that were wanted £800-plus for the fare. But then they con- tacted Victoria Cars in New John Street and spoke to Wahid, who agreed to take them for £400 - half of what other firms were asking for. She said: “He was amazing - he told us: ‘Don’t you worry - I’m not leaving you stranded, I will get you home to Barry Island’”. Wahid, 47, who has worked for Victoria Cars for 24 years, said when the call came into the office, there was “no way” he would have turned them down. “I didn’t do it for the money, when I heard what a horrible time they’d had I told them ‘I’ll take you home’,” he said. Wahid’s boss Mo- hammed Arif, said he wasn’t surprised he stepped in to help. “He’s a real gentle- man and is one of the most trusted and respected drivers we have here - he’s a real asset,” he said.
MIDLOTHIAN DRIVER OFFERS FREE SERVICE TO THOSE STRANDED
A taxi driver has gone beyond the call of duty after he switched off the meter and offered a free shuttle service to the most vulnera- ble during the ‘Beast from the East’. Callum Rogers of Midlothian County Private Hire realised people were being left stranded after their bus service had to be terminated amid Scotland’s red weather warning. He told the Sunday Herald: “I was on my way home and got a message from a reg- ular saying someone had just finished chemo and she’d
been put off the bus at Tescos.”I knew she wouldn’t be 100 per cent so nipped down and took her home. “There were 40 peo- ple being put off the bus every 20 min- utes so I just started picking out the elderly, vulnerable people and those who weren’t ready for the weather.” He also filled his car with milk and rolls, distributing them to passengers through- out the day and night. Mr Rogers, 26, picked passengers up free of charge at Newtongrange, Gor e-
bridge, Dalkeith, Ma y
-
field, Eskbank and Bonnyrigg. He also helped an elderly woman who was wondering the streets of Newton- bridge in her slippers get back home. He said: “I don’t know what made me stop, but there was something about the way she was looking around that didn’t look right. She was wearing a cardigan and slippers and she didn’t know where she lived so I took her to the health centre to find out before I drove her home.”
CAMBRIDGE DRIVERS DELIVERED SHOPPING FOR FREE TO PENSIONERS
Two taxi companies in Cambridgeshire offered free shop- ping deliveries for pensioners during last month’s bad weather. Cambridge’s Panther Taxis announc- ed the move on their Facebook. It read: “Important Customer Announcement. Some of our older regular customers have called asking for help in this adverse weather we are currently encountering, which we’ve been very happy to help them out with. “Our drivers are still out working and passing most places in the Cambridge area. If any senior cit-
Agha Ali
izens or vulnerable people need any- thing; gas or electric top ups, food fetch- ing from the local shops, prescriptions collecting, please do not hesitate to ask. “Other than the cost of the items you
require we WILL NOT charge you for this service.” Agha Ali, 30, general manager of T&T Pri- vate Hire Ltd, had seen two elderly peo- ple trying to carry their shopping in the snowy conditions in St Ives and decided to help them. He then asked the owner of the compa- ny if they could provide the service. The owner agreed. Mr Ali told the Cam- bridge News: “We thought we’d put a bit of effort back into the community.” T&T offered five drivers available for the special service which ran on March 2nd from 10am until 4pm.
APRIL 2018
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