These cabbies drove 3,000 miles to pick up refugees fleeing Ukraine

By Amy Reast via SWNS

These heroic cabbies drove around 3,000 miles to Poland to collect refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.

Richard Gough, 60, is one of a convoy of ten London black cab drivers who turned off their meters and drove supplies from the UK to Chelm.

Instead of driving back with an empty car, he picked up a grandmother, mother and two young children who had fled shelling in Kyiv.

Richard, who runs a taxi firm, plans to arrive in Calais, France today (March 23), before completing his 3,000-mile trip by dropping off the family in Notting Hill, London.

He estimates that on the meter the trip would have cost about $4,000 US - but he's doing it for free and given up a week of earnings to do the good deed.

The dad-of-three said: "Us taxi drivers, we all wanted to do it - we wanted to make a difference.

"The family I am carrying saw the home they owned bombed and shelled to pieces - you can't even imagine how that feels.

"I did it because I have my own family and seeing what was happening in Ukraine was hard.

"My kids are adults now but 20 years ago, this could have been us - all the other taxi drivers have children too.

"These guys have given up a week's earnings for this trip. It's been more than 2,000 miles so far and a complete emotional rollercoaster, but I don't regret it and I'll go back next week if I can."

Richard and his convoy first set off to Balham on Saturday (19) where they collected heaps of supplies from White Eagle Club, a Polish community center, collecting donations.

The team consists of six black cabs, a van, and Richard who is driving his own car, along with two spare drivers.

The journey was sponsored by a fundraiser which saw thousands in donations from many sources in order to support their long trip.

They drove to Harwich, Essex, before getting a ferry to Hook of Holland, in the Netherlands.

From there they drove into Germany, past Berlin, and continued on to Warsaw, Poland, where they stopped overnight.

They then continued into Poland where they went to drop off the supplies and collect refugees from Lublin and Chełm.

Richard collected his family of refugees on Monday.

He put them up in a hotel in Warsaw for the night.

He said: "Their English is very limited, but they told me that was the first quiet night they'd had since February 28."

Richard is now en route to Calais where he will wait for the family to get their visas approved before driving them to Notting Hill.

They have been able to get a sponsor who will be housing them there, in safety.

But despite the long and harrowing journey, Richard isn't put off - and says he'll go back again if he is able.

He said: "We all thought the same thing - that we can make a difference.

"This family has nothing but a small bag each, and their flat in Kyiv is being bombed and shelled to pieces.

"They're putting on brave faces, but they must be terrified - and they are lucky to have found a sponsor.

"I'll have driven nearly 3000 miles by the time I get back."

"I hope to retire soon - but once I have, this is the kind of way I want to spend my retirement.