By Tony O’Riley
Two Golden hearted Northamptonshire cab drivers are being celebrated by Northamptonshire residents, after providing 300 people with free lifts to vaccination centres to get their jabs.
The Eye Of Media was contacted on instagram by two admirers of the cabbies who incidentally follow us on the social media platform. Have you guys not heard about these wonderful people in Northamptonshire”?, a message from them read.
I think you need to arrange an interview with them. They are simply amazing. They have just bee offering lifts after lifts, and people who normally wouldn’t have been bothered to go to the vaccination centre have been getting free rides. They have even help people down to hospitals, they are great guys!
The importance of getting vaccinated in these times cannot be understated, although mandating vaccination directly or indirectly is far from democratic.
Freddie Fudge, of Flat Cap Cabs in Brixworth,(pictured wearing a cap) and Nick Metaxas, of Holcot Cars, began the offer of lifts to assist those wanting to go to vaccination centres beginning of February to help with the jab roll-out.
Without their help, many locals would have struggled to obtain the vaccine, but the golden and commendable acts of these cabbies facilitated the process for hundreds in their community, with several hundreds more to benefit from their legendary acts of empathy and consideration.
The selfless act of generosity shown by the cabbies is unrivalled for cab drivers, who work very hard and would usually need all income they can get and has attracted praise from locals. Freddie Fudge has been doing this since February
Mr Fudge told The Eye Of Media Of Com:” Normally, me and Nick would be rivals as we have our own taxi companies within two miles of each other.
‘We decided to team up together to offer free vaccination on taxi services in Northamptonshire. I’m bsd in Brixworth and Nick is based in Holcot.
‘We cover all vaccination in Northamptonshire and have struck an amazing relationship with staff at these sites.
‘I’ve been a taxi driver since 2018, I set up Flat Cap Cabs in 2018.
I set up Flat Cap Cabs in 2019.
Free Travel
‘During the first lockdown, I provided completely free travel for the vulnerable, assisting shopping doctors appointments, medication pick ups, and so on.
Me and Nick are both a one man band services. Its been a pleasure working with Nick in offering the Free Vaccination on Journeys.
We started in the first week of February, and will continue until we are not needed anymore”.
From left to right: Freddie Fudge, Vaccination Co-ordinator, Nick
Vaccination Centres.
There were local people who couldn’t get to their vaccination centres, so a lift to get there would be supporting the community. We have taken about 300 people from the area to various venues.
Its been very worthwhile. Some of our early passengers haven’t seen anyone in the past year. So its almost a bit of a treat to have a nice conversation with a new face.
We take them, wait the bring them home. So each journey could potentially be an hour.
I’d say between us, an average of 4-5 hours a day. We have had entire days full of vaccination runs.
So, it can be as many as 8 hours per day.
“The vaccination centres have also been supportive to assist with the logistics of taking people from 35 different surgeries to 17 different locations, often booked at the same booked time.
Vaccination Passports
Commenting on vaccination passports, Mr Fudge said:” I don’t think it is a good idea to force people to take the vaccine through vaccination passports. I think it should be a matter of choice.
Bringing in vaccination passports for travel would mean those who need to travel will not be able to do so just because they don’t have a vaccination passport. I don’t think it should be a factor putting people in a position where they can’t travel or gain entry to places others can go”.
Plaudits
Locals in Northamptonshire have been impressed with the benevolence of the amazing cabbies, heaping them with praise.
Josh Miles, 32. from Brixswoth Northamptonshire said: ”this guys are pure gems.
It’s that simple. They are like like angels with golden hearts, who have helped people get vaccinated and protect them from this awful virus, as well as protect others.
‘It’s a great thing they are doing. It’s important to get vaccinated, but those who don’t want to should not be punished for it.
Candis Payne, 28, also from Brixsworth ,Northamptonshire34, said: ”when we heard of the good work these guys were doing, I thought, what amazing chaps. For these guys to sacrifice their time to help people is unbelievable. Whoever their girlfriends or wives are must be lucky .If they are this amazing to random members of the public, imagine how lucky their partners must be”.
Andy Gale, from Northamptonshire, said: ”These guys deserve plenty of credit. It is virtually unheard of for cabbies to displays this level of consideration for others. Given the demands of the job, and the hit the cab industry must have taken during the pandemic, these guys deserve an applause.
” Even with all the controversy surrounding vaccines, they bring more benefits to us all. Those who don’t want to take it should not suffer for it, but many of them would probably be safe anyway, with the rate of vaccine take ups in the UK.
More people should be encouraged to take the vaccine, but it should not be done with pressure or discrimination, otherwise it will put people off. But people like these guys who are just doing good and helping those who need help, should be rewarded.
Their taxi firm should be supported big time, well done for covering them”.
I mean there must be lots of people who would pay them to travel outside Northamptonshire for good money, but they have chosen to help the local people. Surely they qualify for an MBE by the Queen. Someone should nominate them for some special award”.
Indeed, the cabbie deserve the maximum praise for their services. They are certainly one of kind, and this publication congratulates them for their exemplary show of selflessness and good nature.