A Dundee food delivery business is stepping up its efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus by sterilising all of its drivers’ vehicles on a weekly basis.
Zippy D, which delivers takeaway food and groceries from businesses across the city, has ordered its drivers to present their cars for a deep clean every Tuesday.
Disinfectant expert Stephen Roberts is carrying out the procedures from Zippy D’s base at the Peddie Street Industrial Estate using a food-safe cleaning agent.
Neil Henderson, boss of the takeaway start-up, says he is taking no chances at a time when people are depending on deliveries more than ever.
He said: “We’re sterilising both our own branded Zippy D BMWs and the driver’s own vehicles – no exceptions. We’re being consistent throughout the fleet.
“We’re doing everything we can to meet the requirements and expectations of our customers.”
The deep clean of the vehicles involves every surface inside and out being sprayed with a disinfectant that its manufacturer claims kills “99.9999%” of all known viruses, including influenzas, within minutes.
The new business, which launched in May last year, has experienced an influx in requests from people seeking to become drivers.
Neil has hired someone to handle recruitment due to the dozens of requests coming in every day.
As well as delivering food from the likes of Clark’s Bakery, Birchwood Emporium and German Doner Kebab, the business also carries out deliveries of groceries from several Premier Stores and the Little Green Larder in the West End.
Zippy D has also provided its partner Premier stores with supplies of antibacterial hand gel that customers can access for free to refill their existing bottles. It has also reduced its fees to local businesses to a bare minimum to cover costs.
In addition, it is planning to offer its services to local food banks in the near future with the creation of ‘drop-off points’ for donations that its drivers will then take to those in need. Details of this scheme are expected in the near future.
However, Neil added that the company had been through a “horrible” time in recent weeks as restaurants pulled down their shutters, depriving the firm of essential business.
He said: “For us at the moment it’s not about making a profit, but surviving. It’s the same for all local businesses.
“I’m not interested in making a profit at this time. People are looking for deliveries from their Premier shop and things, and we can supply them.
“It’s a different world from the one we were living in two weeks ago. It’s only right we think about how we are transporting our goods.”
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