Covid vaccination buses donated to Ukraine

Bill Hiron says his company is proud to be able to help in the humanitarian effort

An Essex bus company has donated two disused mobile vaccination buses to Ukraine.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the single-decker buses were converted to administer thousands of vaccinations to vulnerable people in remote or isolated communities.

Now, they are being repurposed to support humanitarian efforts in the war-torn country.

Bill Hiron, of Rochford-based independent bus company Stephensons, said: "The NHS decided they had no further use for them, so we asked the question 'would these buses be any use to Ukraine?' and the answer was very much yes."

'Hide from drones'

The company bought back the vehicles and one has already arrived in Ukraine. A second will join a convoy of aid on Sunday, loaded with supplies and aid.

Graham Hayden, 62, is organising the transport and driving the bus 1,600 miles to Ukraine himself.

He is representing a not-for-profit livery company called the Worshipful Company of Carmen and expressed his gratitude to Stephensons.

Graham Hayden will be taking the second bus on the 1,600-mile trip to Ukraine

"We don't want to send them something... [when] you've got drones chasing you and you turn the key and it doesn't start. So we're after buses, minibuses, pickup trucks, lorries," he said.

"They want small minibuses because they can hide from the drones.

"It will be used for mobile doctor surgeries, mobile hospital-type arrangements, so it will actually be used in the configuration it's in now."

The trip will cost more than £1,200 just for transport including tolls and the ferry, and Mr Hayden urged people to donate to his organisation's appeal.