‘CRAZY BUSY’ FASTWAY COURIERS ARE DELIVERING 1,500 PACKAGES PER DAY
‘WE ARE very busy; it’s crazy busy. We thought it would drop but it hasn’t,’ Fastway manager Val Slattery said last week.
‘We are open for business and are delivering from Monday to Friday as we always do because we come under the Transport Act for movement of freight.’
The Fastway hub at the Waterford Road Business Park in New Ross is having its busiest April yet.
With 40 drivers delivering to people across counties Wexford and Waterford, the volume of packages being packed onto vans each day is staggering.
An estimated 1,500 packages are delivered to homes across Co Wexford every day.
Fastway, like other courier providers, have been delivering boxes of gloves and facemasks to hospitals and nursing homes.
‘Some of the goods would be from local suppliers. There was a stop on it for a week and a half because everyone ran out of masks and gloves but now they are catching up again.’
Ms Slattery said the demand for items has changed with the changing restrictions being implemented by the Government.
‘Since the hardware shops closed there has been a big increase in people buying paint online. Lawn feed is also very popular.’
Among the most popular items are children’s outdoor toys.
Ms Slattery said Fastway are helping small Wexford businesses who have closed and are now selling items online.
‘We are helping local, small businesses to keep going because a lot of small companies have gone online.’
Fastway, like all courier services, has recorded a month on month increase in business over recent years.
‘We can see that new people are shopping online; people who wouldn’t have used us before are using us now. A lot of it is essential stuff and it would be much more medical wise products.’
Fastway deliver for Littlewoods and their staff have been busy delivering outdoor garden toys and sandboxes, along with gardening products. Clothing from online outlets like PrettyLittleThing has not been as much in demand as people are confined indoors.
‘We are up on the volume of freight. We run 30 vans a day and deliver around 1,500 packages a day across Co Wexford. Some of the medical vans that would have sent their own vans out are no longer doing that so we are doing a lot more and are busier.’
Some people may question whether the items being delivered are from essential service providers, but there is a feeling many items like paint are, as painting and keeping busy helps people’s mental health.
On Good Friday the business started delivering school lunches to pupils attending Deis schools across Co Wexford; further boosting business.
‘ They were brought to schools last week but no one turned up to collect them. We have a contract to deliver them to people’s homes.’
Fastway also deliver Oxendales products, mainly to more elderly shoppers, and attached to the package there is a contact leaflet for Alone.
The business has been based in New Ross since 2002 and is run by a Dublin-based company. Some of the drivers who collect at the depot have their own franchise.
Ms Slattery said like all businesses Fastway has introduced safety measures for staff and customers alike.
This includes when it comes to signing for delivered parcels.
‘We would have always had to get a signature for delivery. Now we do contactless delivery and we don’t hand over the package to the customer.
‘ There is a scanner and all our couriers wear gloves and have name badges. Before they wouldn’t have been as important but now they need two letters from us in their van and their name badges as well for garda checkpoints.’
Ms Slattery said thankfully no Fastway courier has contracted the coronavirus to date.
Even though we as a people are staying apart, your local newspaper is with you every step of the way.
We will continue to provide clear and reliable local news and information and do whatever we can to support the valiant efforts of our frontline health workers in their battle against a silent enemy. And, rest assured, we are here for our readers in this difficult time.
Please get in touch if you know of any community initiatives, or to share your stories and pictures of coping in the shadow of coronavirus. Remember, telling your story could bring hope and comfort to many others.
If you are living abroad, why not share your experiences through this newspaper with those back at home.
If you have lost a loved one, we can publish a fitting tribute at a time when the restrictions on social gatherings add stress to an already very difficult situation. Obituaries and appreciations are free of charge; they can be sent directly to us or our journalists can assist with writing them. Above all, stay safe and stay connected.