Starting this Tuesday, Madrid taxi drivers will have a specific screening centre for the early detection of the coronavirus.

• As a result of the collaboration between the Community of Madrid, the CEOE Foundation and the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Madrid (CEIM) within the framework of the ‘Sumamos Plan (We Combine Health + Economy’).
• This time, the centre has been made possible thanks to the contribution of DKV Seguros, which has provided the premises and financed the medical and administrative staff, and the collaboration of the National Federation of Self-Employed Workers’ Associations (ATA), of which the Madrid Auto Taxi Association is a member.

Around 15,000 Madrid taxi drivers will be able to access free COVID-19 screening tests, by appointment (https://plansumamos.es/reservar-cita/), at the temporary centre opening this Tuesday and which will remain open for the next three months as part of the ‘ Sumamos Plan’, promoted by the CEOE Foundation to broaden the actions of the health authorities to contain the pandemic.

The opening of this centre has been possible because of the collaboration protocol signed between the Community of Madrid, the CEOE Foundation and the Madrid Business Confederation (CEIM); and the contribution of DKV Seguros, in charge of providing the space and the health and administrative professionals to undertake this task. In addition, the National Association of Federations of Self-Employed Workers (ATA), of which the Madrid Auto Taxi Association is a member, has also collaborated.

The centre opened on Tuesday, March 2, in an event attended by the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and the President of the CEOE, Antonio Garamendi.

Also present at the event were the Regional Minister of Health, Enrique Ruiz Escudero; the President of the CEOE Foundation, Fátima Báñez; the President of CEIM, Miguel Garrido; the President of DKV Seguros, Javier Vega de Seoane; the President of ATA, Lorenzo Amor, and the President of the Taxi Trade Association, Alberto de la Fuente Miñambres.

This is the fifth screening centre to be set up in the region, after the one set up in Mercamadrid last December and the one opened at the Industrial Park Las Mercedes at the beginning of 2021. In addition, two other centres are in operation at Puerta de Atocha and Chamartín Clara Campoamor stations.

Now, thanks to this new screening site, it will be possible to promote early detection and safety for the thousands of taxi drivers in Madrid.

The President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, stressed during the opening event that “through the Sumamos Plan, with taxis as the main focus today, we are strengthening our capacity to monitor positive cases of coronavirus and we are boosting our diagnostic capacity”.

During the event, the president of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, expressed his gratitude to DKV Seguros for the resources it has provided to set up the screening centre, as well as to the Community of Madrid for its willingness to engage in public-private collaboration.

In his opinion, “this prepares us for the real challenge ahead, which is the arrival of the vaccines”, because, as entrepreneurs, we are used to paving the way for the future”.

The president of CEOE also expressed his satisfaction that the Sumamos Plan has now made it to the taxi drivers. “We are all CEOE”, he emphasised and highlighted that “this pandemic has demonstrated the capacity of companies to react”.

Meanwhile, the president of DKV Seguros, Javier Vega de Seoane, pointed out that the company works “towards prevention and for improving people’s quality of life”. “This antigen testing scheme for taxi drivers in the community of Madrid aims to help prevent and also to give peace of mind to both taxi drivers and their clients. On the other hand, as part of our corporate responsibility policy, we are committed to alliances, in this case with the Community of Madrid, CEOE, CEIM and ATA, to contribute to improving the health and growth of the economy and of employment. Bringing peace of mind and reassurance is undoubtedly the best contribution we can make as a healthcare company,” he said.

At the same time, the president of the Auto Taxi Trade Association highlighted the positive response from the sector to the launch of this new centre. “The people who use taxis, who are already travelling safely today, will be even safer thanks to this initiative”, he said.

USEFUL INFORMATION FOR TESTING ACCESS:

• What tests are conducted?

The tests are antigen tests for taxi drivers who have an appointment.

• How do I make an appointment??

Appointments must be made through the platform set up for this purpose (https://plansumamos.es/reservar-cita/).

• What documents do I need to submit?

Upon entering the appointment app you need to type your licence number or simply the word ‘Taxi’ in the ‘Company’ field. There is a unique identifier for each booking, which must be the telephone number.

• How many times can an appointment be made?

The same person can take a test as many times as they wish.

• What documents does the worker have to bring?

You must bring your personal documents (licence card and ID card) to the testing centre.

• Can I bring my taxi to the testing centre? Do you have parking facilities??

There are reserved parking spaces for those who come to take the test by appointment. The entrance to the car park is located at Calle Diego de León, 45.

• Is it free?

The antigen tests done at the centre are free of charge.

• What is the ‘Plan Sumamos’ project?

The CEOE Foundation has launched the ‘Sumamos Salud+Economía (We Combine Health + Economy) Plan’ to amplify the action of public administrations in mitigating the adverse effects of COVID-19. For more information, visit www.plansumamos.es.