Hospital buggy back in action

The Nelson Hospital shuttle buggy is back in action after a five-month hiatus.

The much-utilised free service was shut down in August last year due to Covid-19, but now equipped with hand sanitiser, it is ready to get people up the hospital hill once again.

“People have missed it,” says Kathy Cuthbert, who got the buggy service up and running back in 2006.

Volunteer Clive Workman says they carry an average of 40 passengers a day.

“But one day I did 48 passengers in just four hours.”

The buggy has a brand new $6,000 lithium battery to power it on its journeys, which was funded by donations.

The whole setup is run by volunteers and sponsors, including the Nelson Rotary Club.

Volunteer Russell Egan says they would love to get some other businesses on board to help too as there is always maintenance to be done.

Russell also says they are also in need of more volunteers to drive the buggy.

They currently have just over 20 drivers but recently around 10 have been stood down for various reasons.

Drivers must be fully vaccinated and be able to commit to one four-hour shift a fortnight.

“It’s the best job I’ve ever done,” says Russell.

“You meet so many different people and at the end of the day you feel so thankful you’ve helped so many people.”

To find out more about being a buggy volunteer, pick up a form from the Nelson Hospital front desk or email [email protected]