New ‘grab a cab’ initiative launched in Bath and North East Somerset

A new travel scheme to make it easier for people to get a Covid-19 vaccination in Bath and North East Somerset has been launched by the council.

The new ‘Grab a Cab’ scheme allows residents to travel for free to any vaccination site also within Bath and North East Somerset.

The vaccination must be pre-booked and evidence of the appointment must be shown to the taxi driver. Evidence can include a screen shot on a mobile phone or a tablet, or print out.

Councillor Dine Romero, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture, said: “This is really good news for anyone who still needs to get any of their Covid-19 vaccinations. We know that there are still thousands of eligible residents who have still not had any of their jabs – and for many, access issues are the biggest hurdle. This new initiative will provide our residents with a door-to-door service, from home to a local vaccination site.”

To access the service, residents will need to call V-Cars on 01225 46 46 46. The resident will then say they’d like to book a taxi on account, quoting the account number – BA-TTV 01; account name – grab a cab; and password – vaccination site.
The taxi driver will pick them up and take to the appointment, the return journey must be within an hour of the appointment time.

From this week, the spring booster is now available to people aged 75 and over, as well as for those people who live in a care home for older people, and those aged 12 and over who have a weakened immune system.

People are advised to wait 6 months since their previous dose to get maximum protection from a spring booster. You'll usually be contacted by the NHS, inviting you to book when it's due.

To book a Covid-19 vaccination visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or to find a walk-in vaccination centre visit: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-site/

The new initiative is a three-month trial running until Thursday 30 June, after which the service will be evaluated.