IN THE NEWS THE GLASGOW DRIVER WHOSE
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT DOESN’T COME OUT OF A BOTTLE
Over the years we’ve reported about quite a number of taxi and PHV drivers who work the Christmas shift: from start to finish, they’re driving throughout the day on Christmas with very few rest breaks, ferrying all types of passengers around their district and beyond. Meet one such driv- er, George - he’s worked every single Christmas for 25 years, starting at 6am and not clock- ing off until 2am For most people in Glasgow, Christmas Day will be spent with
family, friends and far more food than it’s possible to eat. On December 25, folk like to kick back, relax and have a drink - meaning someone else has to do the driving. For that reason, one group of people who can’t take a day off are taxi drivers, who
experience
some of their busiest periods at Christ- mas. George McIntosh, a driver with Glasgow Taxis, is one such man and has worked Christmas Day every year for a quarter of a century.
Speaking to Glas- gow Live, he said that working at Christmas was a bit of a highlight be- cause everyone was so cheerful. He said: “I enjoy
working on Christ- mas Day as every- one is in a great mood. around
I start at 6am
because a lot of people – including myself – need to
work on Christmas Day. I’ll then pick up the elderly from care homes and take them to where they are having their Christmas lunch fol- lowed by families. “Then at around 3pm, it’s time to take everyone
home
again but it’s great fun as everyone is in good spirits.” Of course, everyone needs a break and George usually has time to grab a wee one during the day, before continuing to ferry the people of Glasgow around. Given how different- ly people celebrate
GLASGOW TAXI DRIVER HONOURED FOR HELPING VETERANS WITH FREE TRAVEL SCHEME
A Glasgow taxi driv- er has been thanked by the Prime Minis- ter for helping ex- service veterans. According to the Evening
Times,
David Gibson has been giving free travel with his Fare4Free
taxi
scheme to help com- bat social isolation among ex-service personnel. He
started the
scheme in 2016 after he heard from friends about the difficulty getting to health appointments and facing loneliness. From offering free trips himself to get- ting other cab firms involved,
the
scheme has now supported 450 vet- erans with more than 5,000 trips
6
worth an estimated £150,000 in fares. Mr Gibson has now been awarded the Point of Light award from the Prime Min- ister in recognition of his efforts. Theresa May sent a personal
letter to
him after he re- ceived the award. She said: “The suc- cess of your pion- eering
initiative
‘Fares4Free’ is a tes- tament to your re- markable commit- ment to ensuring that veterans across Scotland have a strong support net- work. “You should feel enormously proud of inspiring so many other taxi drivers to provide invaluable support for Armed Forces communities
David Gibson (r) with Paul Masterton MP
who have made great sacrifices in the service of our country.” Mr Gibson said he hopes the award will help
encourage
more people to take part and offer even more help. He said “I am pleased to accept the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award on
behalf of the many drivers and taxi firms around the country, who give up their time and income to help vet- erans reach essential services and beat social isolation. “This will encourage us to grow the ser- vice and to seek new partnerships. These partners pro-
vide a life-changing safety net that stays in place ready to assist our most vul- nerable veterans.” The service has grown to include support from local councils and more than 30 charities, including ‘Combat Stress’, which helps identify people who require assistance and provide them with further support. The charity is also providing assistance for elderly individ- uals and people with dementia to help ease isolation and provide respite for carers. The scheme was recognised in the House of Commons by East Renfrew- shire MP Paul Masterton. He said:
“It is fantastic to see such an important organisation being recognised by the Prime Minister. “David is an incredi- ble, selfless human being and quite sim- ply, if it wasn’t for the
team, hundreds of veterans
Fares4Free across
Scotland would see their quality of life substantially reduced. “They are not only a free lift to a vital appointment, but an answer
to the
increasingly worry- ing rise of isolation and depression. “David is a credit to the community and a great success story. I’m delighted that he and his team have received this richly
deserved award.” JANUARY 2019
Christmas, there is always something for George to do, from early morning church goers to late night revellers. George continued: “I usually stop off dur- ing the day for a rest but after I go back out, I can get home as late as 2am. “I don’t have Christ- mas Dinner on December 25 – I save that for Boxing Day. I always take that off. I feel a bit like Santa Claus on Christmas
Day
because I’m there to take everyone to see their
family and enjoy themselves.”
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