Parcels, paperwork and palliative care medicine – strange days on the road in locked down city

DAY 7 – Our intrepid Covid Courier has time to notice a few surprises on Glasgow’s empty roads

An Eagle Couriers deliver van alongside a First Bus

BY ALYSON McKELL

GIVEN that I spend my entire working day driving in Glasgow and the surrounding area, it may seem strange that I’ve only just noticed electric buses on the roads.

I’m very proud to drive a hybrid electric vehicle myself, so I’m genuinely surprised I haven’t spotted these environmentally friendly buses sooner.

I must have missed the news reports about the launch of electric buses by First Glasgow, but while the roads are so empty that they are now standing out more to me. Either way, I’m delighted to see them and hope we’ll soon see more.

Today I made my usual 7am start to the working day, with the collection and delivery of paperwork for a number of law firms in Glasgow. Some of the documents come through the special delivery network set up exclusively for Scottish legal firms, others are collected from the Royal Mail sorting office. All of them have to be delivered to the correct legal firm offices.

My next job is also a regular and most days it sees me hopping onto the M8 and heading to Queenslie and the depot of a UK-wide overnight delivery network. I’m already taking for granted just how quiet the motorway is every day now.

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

However, today I get a reminder of how strange this situation really is, because I have to pick up a parcel and deliver it to Legbrannock in Motherwell. It’s a journey I haven’t done for maybe two years – and the speed of the turnaround on this delivery is breath taking.

It’s a stark reminder that the roads are only this quiet for a very grave and serious reason.

Next up I have an other delivery to a private home address in Sandyhills, before my usual, daily run to the Marie Curie Hospice at Stobhill Hospital. That sees me collect items which need delivered to Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where I also pick up vital deliveries to take back to the hospice.

After my lunch break, I am dispatched to Springburn Health Centre to collect a number of prescriptions slips. I then take those to a branch of Boots, and collect medications for delivery to a care home in Dennistoun.

After my unhappy experience the previous day at a branch of Boots in Clydebank, I’m pleased that this branch made a priority of getting the palliative care medicine – vital for those nearing the end of their life – so that I didn’t have to wait in a lengthy queue.

Later in the day I have another job at the Marie Curie Hospice, delivering items to the Royal Infirmary, before picking up further deliveries to be returned to the hospice.

And there ends another busy day as an Eagle Couriers driver working in Glasgow during the Covid-19 lockdown.

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