Uber drivers in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas have bandied together to offer a delivery service for the vulnerable and those self-isolating.

A group of around 100 drivers, some from as far away as Kirkcaldy, have set up a WhatsApp group with the view to set up a network of drivers who can help deliver crucial supplies to people across the city.

Jamie Wilson, 31, set up the group and hopes that Uber drivers across the city can help reach the most vulnerable with the initiative.

Jamie Wilson has set up a group of Uber drivers who aim to help deliver supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: “It is really important that all of us make any contribution that we can in any way.

“They have been talking about how everyone needs to do their part and people are going to have to organise their deliveries to those in self-isolation and I don’t think there is the infrastructure to do that.

“My thought process was that there is a group of hundreds of private hire drivers and black cab drivers and they all could find some form of employment doing deliveries as well as doing what we need to do to get through this.”

Mr Wilson, who is originally from Maryland in the USA but lives in Newington, added that he hoped supermarkets and pharmacies would employ the drivers as makeshift delivery workers.

He said: “It is doing our part. It is a once in a generation if not more event that we are going through and we need to help each other.

“I don’t think people really understand the severity but it is important that we take these steps as quickly as possible.

“There are millions of people who are going to be told to stay at home for 12 weeks and if we can help fill that void that is what we want to do.

“Supermarkets and pharmacies are going to need that help. If we can help these businesses we should as well as helping private hire drivers and black cab drivers.”

Edinburgh Uber drivers band together to deliver shopping to isolated and vulnerable people

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