Volkswagen and Kilkenny’s Taxi Watch initiative sign deal for fully sponsored car

The founder of Kilkenny’s Taxi Watch initiative says he’s over the moon to have signed a partnership with Volkswagen.

Taxi Watch sees taxi drivers trained to help people who they come across who might be distressed and in danger of taking their own lives.

It started in Kilkenny but there are now more than 1,100 drivers signed up across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Now Volkswagen have come on board to provide a brand new fully sponsored car.

Taxi Watch founder, Derek Devoy has told KCLR today that he’s delighted:

“Volkswagen contacted me and asked could I come in for a meeting. They’d seen Throwline [the documentary about Taxi Watch] at one of the festivals and asked me could I go in.

“I went in and they said, ‘There you go, we’re giving you a free car.’

“They put the taxi watch stickers on it and the national 24/7 numbers – the Samaritans and Pieta House.

They’re going to back us for the rest of our days apparently. It’s amazing.”

You can contact Taxi Watch on their website: http://taxiwatch.ie/

Or if you’re looking for someone to talk to, the Samaritans can be contacted by calling 116 123.