Across the globe, companies and NGOs are stepping up action for their communities to help people stay as safe as possible amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
Locally, car-sharing pioneer GoTo is one of the companies leading the way, and it recently announced a collaboration with the Malta Red Cross Society to provide the organisation with four vehicles to enable increased mobility for its team.
“Right now we are supporting the recommendations made by the Health Ministry that people should stay home,” says GoTo chief marketing officer Johnny Tominga. “With that in mind, we decided to put some of our Roundtrip fleet to good use in the community, and the Red Cross is one of the organisations that will be using it to do good.”
The Malta Red Cross Society plays a key role in providing aid to people in need and was set up to help the most vulnerable, without discrimination. In the current crisis, the organisation is needed to reach out to those who are confined to their houses. At the moment, it is using the four GoTo vehicles to collect shop-bought items for those in the Pembroke area and to deliver them, in collaboration with the Pembroke Local Council.
“We’re proud to see our GoTo cars working hard at this time, and being used to take Red Cross volunteers and employees wherever they need to go. The work of organisations like the Red Cross is vital at the moment, as they help to alleviate pressure on the wider local health system,” Mr Tominaga continues. “We hope it will further encourage people to follow the advice of the World Health Organisation and to stay home, wash their hands frequently, and maintain physical distancing as much as possible.”
In the meantime, GoTo cars are still available for public use and the company is following WHO advice to ensure they are as safe to drive as possible. Aside from encouraging its team to work from home, it has also increased efforts to clean and sanitise its vehicles even more regularly than before, with all relevant team members wearing gloves and masks to reduce the risk of contamination. The company has also set up a dedicated webpage with key information about how customers can make their trips safer, and it is online at www.goto.com.mt/stay-home.
“Like everyone else, our prime concern at the moment is people’s well-being, so we are doing everything we can to facilitate the wider mission to keep them safe,” Mr Tominaga continues.
“Once we get past this, we look forward to continuing on our mission to improve urban lifestyle by developing shared transport solutions and providing the freedom of mobility. We hope to continue to see growth in usage of our car and scooter fleets and will keep seeking smarter and more sustainable ways to help people travel,” he adds.
