People living in Watford without access to transport are now able to get a free ride to their Covid-19 vaccination appointments.
ArrivaClick – the demand responsive minibus service subsidised by Watford Borough Council – will be supporting the local vaccination effort by offering free transport to and from vaccination locations within the borough, via a discount code, for anyone using the service.
Watford Mayor Peter Taylor said the offer “provides residents with the opportunity to easily and safely access the vaccination centres at no cost during this economically challenging time”.
How does it work?
The service can be booked through a smartphone app which can be found by searching ‘ArrivaClick Watford’ in the Apple or Google Play stores or at www.watford.gov.uk/arrivaclick.
Where a passenger does not have a smartphone, the service can be booked on their behalf by a friend or relative.
People can add the promo code Vaccine1 and Vaccine2 to book a vaccination appointment journey for free.
Read more - Everything we know about the new vaccine centre opening in Watford
People must be ready to show a letter, email or SMS confirmation of their appointment for vaccination in Watford to the driver.
Passengers are picked up at an agreed time from a ‘virtual stop’ by a driver in a minibus.
The buses operating times are 6am - 10pm Monday to Thursday, 6am - 11pm Friday and Saturday and 8am - 9pm Sunday. For more information, visit www.watford.gov.uk/arrivaclick.
What safety measures are in place?
The council says that the ArrivaClick service operates to “careful standards” to ensure the safety of passengers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Safety measures include all vehicles having appropriate ventilation, with strict infection control measures in place to ensure they are operated with the highest levels of public health safeguards.
This includes a regular schedule of cleaning of the buses, a clear policy on the wearing of face masks, app only payments, a maximum of six passengers at any one time and one passenger per row to ensure socially distanced seating.
What has been said about the offer?
Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said: “The vaccine rollout is a key part of the fight against Covid-19. To aid the success of the programme, we need to ensure residents who have been invited for a vaccine can attend their appointment.
"Thanks to the support of ArrivaClick, vulnerable residents who may otherwise be unable to attend their vaccinations appointments will be able to travel safely and at no cost to and from local vaccination sites.
“This offer provides residents with the opportunity to easily and safely access the vaccination centres at no cost during this economically challenging time, supports the council’s sustainability strategy and provides ArrivaClick with an opportunity to demonstrate the excellent service available for essential travel.”
Adam Toone, Digital & Commercial Platforms Director at Arriva Bus UK said: “We’re excited to be working with Watford Borough Council to support the COVID-19 vaccination program by offering free travel with the new ArrivaClick on demand transport service.
"ArrivaClick will enable on demand commuters to book their journey through the app, to and from the vaccine centres. We are proud to be able to support the pandemic with free travel.”
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