London taxis enroute to Ukraine borders after raising over £6,000 to help deliver refugee aid
A fleet of London black cabs are currently on their way to Poland fully stocked with vital aid for Ukraine refugees.
The taxi industry has so far raised over £6,000 to fund the trip in just 6 days of going live.
A shared video showed several black cabs stuffed full of toiletries, nappies and other aid closing in to dock in the Netherlands. The taxi will then drive a further 12-hours to Warsaw.
Matt Westfall, the taxi driver who organised the trip, said on GoFundMe: “As a London licensed taxi driver, my job is all about getting people safely from A to B. Everyday we take it for granted that we can all get where we need to go, but for many people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine right now this isn’t the case.
“Like many people watching the news right now, I have found myself wanting to use my skills to help in some way. After hearing about another driver who had taken supplies to the Ukraine/Poland border to help people who have been forced to leave their homes, only to get stuck in freezing border towns without the basic things they need, I decided I wanted to do the same.
“I am raising money to fund 15 cabs to make the around 2,000 mile journey to take crucial aid and hopefully to also help transport people away from the border to safety. I already have drivers onboard and have received generous donations from the LTDA and Eclipse Rent-a-Taxi With your help we will be setting of on Sunday 21 March!
“With fuel and other costs the trip works out around £700 per cab. All money donated will directly fund this. Anything you can spare would be greatly appreciated.”
The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) tweeted last week: “Can you help Matt and his fellow cabbies make the journey to the Ukraine - Poland border to deliver aid and transport refugees? We’ve donated £5k. With your help they will be making the journey this weekend!”
Hina Bokhari, a Lib Dem Merton Councillor, said: “Thanks to the London cabbies who have decided to take this challenging journey to help Ukrainian refugees.”
