WER2 Taxis offers veterans free return journeys to Hull’s Cenotaph
WER2 Taxis of Walton Street, Hull, will again be providing free lifts to local veterans to Hull Cenotaph, for Remembrance Sunday(Image: wer2taxishull.com)
A Hull taxi business is inviting veterans to get booked in now for free journeys to the city’s Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. The annual commemoration of the fallen this year will be held on Sunday, November 8.
In what has become an annual gesture by WER2 Taxis, of Walton Street, owner Nick Padgett and a team of volunteer drivers will be helping any veteran who would otherwise struggle to get to the outdoor service, to travel to pay their respects. The offer is open to anyone within the Hull boundary and includes one booked journey to the Cenotaph, and an agreed pick-up time, with the same driver, to get home again.
The free rides are subject to availability and people need to book beforehand by calling WER2Taxis on 01482 770077, and quoting “free taxi” at the time of booking. Nick said: “It’s a really popular scheme and we’re usually booked to capacity.
“Everyone can have one journey to the Cenotaph and a time is agreed to take them home again, with the same driver. This is for those who would otherwise struggle to get there – we know it can be hard to get into town on a Sunday.”
Nick’s firm has 120 cars in total and he said around 30 to 40 cars will be providing the lifts on Remembrance Sunday. “All the drivers involved in this are volunteers – a lot of them put their hands up and give us two hours for free.
“I drive myself and my partner drives as well. It’s an opportunity to give back to the local community.
“It’s something we’ve done since I bought the business, four years ago in February. I would encourage anyone to get in touch with us as soon as they can as the lifts are subject to availability.”
The annual Remembrance Sunday service and parade in Hull remembers the millions of people who lost their lives in the First World War and subsequent conflicts. The commemoration is co-ordinated by Hull City Council in partnership with the Royal British Legion Hull branch and 150 Regiment.
Details of this year’s event have not yet been publicised but by tradition, there is a military parade to the Cenotaph, a service including the laying of wreaths and the observation of two minutes of silence at 11am. A civic party takes the salute at the march-past by members of a number of veterans’ associations, serving Armed Forces, St John Ambulance and the blue light services.
Several road closures in Hull city centre are usually in place from 6am on the Sunday morning to allow for a safe area before the parade leaves Queen Victoria Square. Hull’s Remembrance Sunday activities coincide with the National Service of Remembrance, held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. A smaller Armistice Day service is normally held in Hull, again at the Cenotaph, on November 11.
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