Military-grade Rapaid bandages in Glasgow Taxi cabs
Taxi drivers in Glasgow are now equipped with specialist bandages designed to prevent deaths from major bleeding incidents, thanks to a new partnership between Rapaid and Patons Insurance.
Rapaid kits, already used in taxis across the UK, have been supplied to 50 Glasgow cabs with funding from the city-founded insurance firm. The kits contain emergency bandages fitted with a pressure pad and tourniquet, along with simple, step-by-step instructions for immediate use by any bystander.
The bandages are housed in clearly marked taxis, easily identified by window stickers. These vehicles can be flagged down during emergencies involving serious blood loss — from road accidents to violent assaults — to provide rapid intervention until emergency services arrive.
The latest rollout took place on 21 March, when Rapaid’s founder Alex Chivers handed out the kits at Patons’ Charles Street base. Local drivers turned up in strong numbers to take part.
This initiative adds a practical layer of public safety to the city’s streets, giving the public access to critical first-aid equipment in the minutes that often matter most.
Dougie McPherson, Glasgow Taxis chairman, said: "Glasgow's taxi drivers have long been renowned for lending a helping hand to others and this initiative is just another example of this.
"All at Glasgow Taxis are proud to support the rollout of Rapaid emergency bandage kits across a number of vehicles within our fleet and, as the old cliché goes, if it helps just one person in the future it will have been more than worth it.
"As always, we are very grateful to all Glasgow Taxis staff, members and drivers for their support, not to mention founder Alex Chivers and all involved with Rapaid and Patons Insurance for inviting us to back their efforts."
Rosie Gibson, Head of Operations at Patons Insurance, said: “People are usually closer to a taxi than to an ambulance and it makes sense to put these life-saving kits into as many cabs as possible.
“Patons was founded by Glasgow taxi drivers and we want to be able to help make a difference in our home city. The majority are Patons customers and it was great to see others who aren’t. As Dougie said, the hope is they will not be needed, but taxi drivers play a huge role in the community and are on the frontline, willing to help.”
Alex said: “With a serious haemorrhage, someone can bleed to death in less than five minutes. The quicker treatment begins, the better the chances of survival and this can stop severe bleeding instantly.
“We use the same military bandages designed for the battlefield and to have these bandage kits carried on taxis that are in and out of our community day and night can be the difference between life and death.
“We have more than 5,000 kits in several cities and Glasgow is our first in Scotland. We have had fantastic support from Dougie and the city’s drivers and are grateful to Patons for helping make it happen.”
