Plugged in Scottish courier keeps the NHS current – even during Glasgow’s lockdown

DAY 9 of her lockdown journal finds our Covid Courier savouring her electric dream machine

This Mitsubishi Hybid EV operated by Eagle Couriers in Scotland. The vehicle has been constantly on the road in Glasgow since 2017

By Alyson McKell

NO MATTER what the day throws up for me, even during lockdown, I love being out on the road. A major reason for that is the vehicle I drive.

For the past couple of years I’ve been lucky enough to have Eagle Courier’s only Mitsubishi Petrol Hybrid Electric Vehicle, known as the PHEV. It’s safe to say I love it.

What never ceases to amaze me is the amount of attention it gets on a daily basis, from all sorts of people including traffic wardens and the police. When I’ve had to drive through road blocks or other police checks, officers always ask me all about it.

During my various pick ups and deliveries, I also often have customers coming out to check the vehicle and even random passers-by stop me to ask about it. It’s fair to say it’s a bit of a head turner.

Today I started up the PHEV at 7am as usual and headed straight to George Square to pick up mail from a service which is dedicated to Scottish legal firms. From there I dropped the mail at various law offices in the city centre.

At 8pm I headed to the Baird Street Royal Mail sorting office, again to collect mail for various legal firms. When I got there it was to be greeted by a queue of 17 people. Happily, they were all being responsible and observing proper social distancing – but that just made the queue look even longer.

Fortunately for me, one mail worker, who recognises me from my daily visits, helped my get my package quickly. I think he must also be a fan of the PHEV!

Eagle Couriers in Scotland workd with the NHS including the Marie Curie hospice in Glasgow

As well as handling well on the city roads, the PHEV is also a pleasure to driver on the motorway, including on my next journey over the M8 to Queenslie and the huge depot of a UK-wide, overnight delivery network.

There I picked up my next jobs, deliveries to be made to private addresses in Sandyhills and the West End, followed by a package for the Booker Cash and Carry warehouse in Springburn.

In between those jobs, I was also pleased to take on my first NHS job of the day – picking up a delivery form the Eagle Couriers depot in Glasgow and running it safely to the labs at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Next up it’s back onto the motorway, this time to the offices of SGN gas networks pick up six separate items which are to be delivered overnight. My job is to get these back to our overnight depot, where they’ll then be dispatched onto to their destinations – Elgin, Inverness, Craigavon, Thurso, Wick and Stornoway.

Before I stop for my lunch there’s another NHS job to take care of, this time to collect samples from the Sandyford clinic and make sure they get safely to the GRI labs, my second visit of the day.

After lunch it’s another satisfying NHS job, involving a trip to Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre at Gartnavel General Hospital. There I pick up medication to be delivered to the home of a patient in Springburn.

Which then leads me to my one of many, regular visits to the Marie Curie hospice at Stobhill Hospital. There I pick up samples to be delivered to the Infirmary labs (my third visit of the day!). At the labs, I wait for returns that are to be taken back to the Marie Curie.

My final stop of the day is back to the Eagle Couriers depot at North Canal Bank Street, where I give the PHEV a thorough wash and clean, inside and out.

That brings to a close this week – now I’m off for the long Easter Weekend. But I’ll be back on the road with the PHEV on Tuesday to do this all again.