The charity bought four Dacia Joggers, the UK’s cheapest seven-seat car, for urgent blood deliveries (Image: Dacia)
A has shared how using an unlikely vehicle has helped them save the lives of residents in a major part of the country.
(SSCBB) recently swapped two wheels for four when they bought a fleet of four , currently the , to use for urgent medical deliveries, including blood.
Jeremy Cartwright, Chair of SSCBB, noted that the family cars are helping the charity ensure that deliveries can still take place during .
He explained: “Having cars on our fleet allows us to take on very long runs or to transport larger items as needed, but the primary use for the cars is to .
“We take on increasing numbers of urgent or time-critical jobs where the delivery is linked to a specific theatre operation – in the past, if we were unable to send a bike due to bad weather, the operation could be cancelled. Now we just send a Jogger instead.”
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In their first month with the charity, the Joggers have covered a combined total of 20,000 miles (Image: Dacia)
In urgent situations, blood is typically delivered on motorcycles due to their agility and ability to cut through traffic jams in built-up areas. However, in heavy rain, ice, or snow, riding a motorbike could put volunteers at risk.
According to the charity, who make more than 7,000 urgent deliveries over 375,000 miles each year, the Dacia Jogger was chosen over a small van due to its value for money and high levels of practicality.
In their first month with the charity, the four Joggers covered a combined total of 20,000 miles, thanks in part to the low temperatures experienced across many parts of the UK in January.
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Priced at £18,400, the Dacia Jogger costs around the same as a conventional supermini (Image: Getty)
Jeremy also suggested that, compared to traditional methods of transporting blood in adverse weather, using the cars is typically a much quicker and more cost-effective method.
He added: “SSCBB primarily undertakes urgent or time-critical jobs that cannot be done using the hospital’s regular transport. If we are not available, the hospital will try to book a specialist courier or a taxi or may even delay the related treatment, all very costly.
“Adding the Dacia Joggers to our fleet provides increased service flexibility and choice for our volunteers as well as saving the NHS more money.”
Introduced in 2021, the Dacia Jogger is currently the cheapest seven-seat car on sale in the UK, with prices starting at £18,400 – around the same amount as a conventional supermini.
Compared to more expensive rivals, like the Vauxhall Combo Life and Ford Tourneo Connect, the Jogger may not offer the same levels of refinement but has plenty of space and a wide range of powertrains, including a self-charging hybrid.
The Dacia is also very reasonably equipped, with the entry-level Essential model featuring manual air conditioning, a DAB digital radio, rear parking sensors, and cruise control.