Motoring and cycling product retailer Halfords has promised to provide emergency workers with a free car or bike check during the coronavirus crisis. Offered at most Halfords stores and Autocentres nationwide, the scheme entitles eligible workers to a 10-point car check and a free bike service while the pandemic continues.
Normally worth £15, the 10-point check includes tyre top-ups, screen wash and checks on headlights, oil levels and brake lights. Halfords Autocentres are offering 10 percent off any replacement tyres for NHS and emergency workers, too.
And blue-light workers can also take advantage of the free Bronze Bike Service, which normally costs £30. The service includes adjusting and aligning gears and brakes, as well as lubricating the drivetrain.
More pledges to the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic:
These offers were introduced after a Halfords poll of more than 1,100 nurses found 72 percent rely on their vehicles to get to and from work, while 25 percent said their car suffers from “a number of defects”. To take advantage of the Halfords offer, NHS staff and emergency workers need only show their staff ID card to any member of staff at a Halfords or Halfords Autocentre.
Graham Stapleton, Halfords CEO, said the company wanted to help emergency services workers during a “difficult” period for the nation.
“Now more than ever the NHS and emergency workers need our help and support,” he said. “Our research shows how vital their cars and bikes are in getting to and from work, so we want to do our bit and help the extraordinary people who are doing an incredibly trying job at the most difficult of times.”
The offer is the latest in a string of moves to help emergency services’ staff through the outbreak, with the government offering NHS workers free parking and the AA providing free breakdown recovery. A Nissan dealer in the north-west of England has also offered NHS staff cut-price servicing during the coronavirus outbreak, while Chinese-owned car maker MG promised the NHS up to 100 electric vehicles to help keep staff on the move.
The UK has been in lockdown for more than two weeks now, with movement restricted and citizens urged to say inside unless exercising, food shopping or attending medical appointments. Workers in “essential” jobs, such as doctors, police officers and nurses, are allowed to go to and from work if they cannot do their jobs from the safety of home.