Manchester City Council has announced that its ‘JabCab’ service is returning this winter to provide free taxi rides for residents who need to get to and from their COVID vaccination appointments.
You may remember that earlier this year, a similar scheme was set up that helped hundreds of people travel to vaccination centres in Moss Side and Bellevue, and now it’s back to aid with the continued roll-out of the booster jab programme before the arrival of Christmas.
All Mancunians are entitled to a free taxi ride to get to the range of vaccination centres across Manchester.
Manchester City Council says that the service has been expanded due to the need to support people who cannot walk to vaccination sites, who cannot drive, or who cannot get there via public transport either.
Local Manchester-based taxi firm, Street Cars, will be offering the free service, with residents only needing to call 0161 228 7878 to book a car.
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The following vaccination sites are eligable:
The Grange Community Resource Centre
Irish World Heritage Centre
Jain Community Centre
Newton Heath Health Centre
Plant Hill Clinic
Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre
The Vallance Centre
People should book a vaccination or booster appointment in advance, or check ahead and choose a vaccination centre which is taking walk ups.
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Use the reference term ‘ManchesterJabCab’ with taxi firm Street Cars when ordering.
Street Cars will need your address, the vaccine centre you will be attending, and the number of passengers who will be travelling.
Local Manchester-based taxi firm, Street Cars, will be offering the free service / Credit: Facebook (Street Cars)
Speaking about the importance of the ManchesterJabCab initiative, David Regan – Manchester’s Director of Public Health – said: “Providing fair and easy access to the Covid jab for people in Manchester has been one of the cornerstones of the vaccination programme.
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“This winter we are doing everything we can to get people vaccinated and the ManchesterJabCab is just one tool at our disposal to protect as many people as we can.
“The first week of the expanded booster programme was a huge success, with more than 44,000 booster jabs given in the space of the week [but] the challenge now will be to sustain that and keep people coming in during the Christmas run up.
“We also want to encourage people to get their first dose as it’s never too late to get vaccinated.
“Vaccinations remain the best line of defence against serious illness if you develop Covid and I would ask anyone who’s not yet booked in to take up this opportunity and protect themselves and their loved ones this Christmas.”
You can step inside a fashion show with Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show in Manchester
Thomas Melia
A Vogue immersive show titled ‘Inventing the Runway’ has arrived Manchester, and it’s even co-created by Anna Wintour herself.
Ever fancied learning more about the fashion world? Well, now’s your chance to hear everything you need to know from global fashion leaders and lifestyle magazine Vogue.
The Anna Wintour-approved immersive experience comes alongside the announcement of Factory International‘s Winter lineup, which features another new event all about voyaging to the moon.
Vogue: Inventing the Runway incorporates interviews, visual media and more to help attendees visualise fashion shows of the past, present and future.
Visitors will be surrounded by incredible visuals on all sides (including underfoot), fully stepping inside the world of high fashion.
As well as understanding how fashion shows became the pinnacle of a designer’s vision, this runway-themed display also includes looking back at iconic moments of fashion and pop culture.
‘Inventing the Runway’ by Vogue is focusing on outfits worn by models and A-listers alike, with narration from the one and only Cate Blanchett.
A glimpse inside Vogue: Inventing the Runway. Credit: The Manc Group
You can expect to see curated pieces by significant creative minds in fashion history like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and lots more.
Throughout the Vogue experience, as well as coming visually face to face with fashion, you will also hear a soundscape that perfectly reflects this innovative industry with a fusion of classical and pop music.
This fashion exhibition uses the same Lightroom technology behind the impressive David Hockney experience that opened back in December.
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves.”
“This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”
You can experience Vogue’s ‘Inventing the Runway’ immersive show from 18 December to 10 January.
Find out more information and grab your tickets HERE.
Record 37.5 million journeys home for Christmas expected before the big day
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being told to prepare for long queues, as a record number of festive trips are predicted across the UK ahead of the big day.
With the festive season generally known to make the roads nationwide busier than usual, travel warnings have now been issued to all those making Christmas getaway trips for the holidays – with an annual study by the RAC and INRIX suggesting that 37.5 million journeys are planned before Christmas Day arrives.
With Christmas falling mid-week again this year, the figures are suggesting that drivers are keen to set off early to avoid what will be an undoubtedly frantic coming weekend on the roads.
Around 18% of getaway journeys are expected to be made today and tomorrow (Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 December, respectively).
But, the RAC expects the main wave of festive journeys to start this Friday (19 December) with a whopping 3.6 million trips planned, before this escalates even further to 4.1 million on Saturday (20 December).
A record 37.5 million journeys home for Christmas are expected before the big day/ Credit: Highways Agency (via Unsplash)
The figures predict this will be the busiest Saturday of any Christmas getaway period since its records began in 2013.
Approximately 3.5m journeys are then expected on Sunday (21 December), while a further 5.3 million trips are set to take place at some point between 19 and 21 December, although drivers haven’t decided what day they’ll travel yet.
According to the RAC’s research, there will then be a slight lull in festive trips at the start of Christmas week – with Monday and Tuesday being normal working days for many people – however, volumes of traffic could be at their highest since COVID on Christmas Eve when 4.2 million getaways are expected, making it the single busiest day for getaways over the period.
When it comes to the best and worst times to travel over the festive period, the research has revealed that the times to avoid when travelling along major routes will be from 4:30pm onwards, with queues of more than half an hour expected in Manchester on the M60 clockwise from J7 Altrincham to J18 for the M62 for Leeds.
On the two busiest days over the getaway period – this coming Saturday (20 December) and Christmas Eve – the RAC and INRIX are advising drivers to expect lengthy delays on major roads between 11am and 7pm, as this is when most journeys will be made.
After the big day, drivers are expecting to make 4.6 million journeys on Boxing Day and 4.1 million on Saturday 27 December, as they travel home or continue their celebrations elsewhere.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd December 2021 
