A BRADFORD taxi association boss, who is now recovering at home after complications with Covid-19, has urged the industry to take Coronavirus seriously.

Mohammed Mukhtar Khan, chairman of the Bradford Hackney Carriage Drivers Association, has also gone out of his way to praise NHS staff for the superb care they provided him while he was recovering from the virus in Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Mr Khan, 52, spent six days in hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier this month.

He praised the staff at BRI for working non-stop, around the clock, to treat him.

"I got looked after 24 hours day, said Mr Khan.

"They worked hard day and night to treat me.

“Without their help at the hospital, I don’t think I would have survived.

"I had breathing problems, a fever and a lot of other complications.

"Thankfully, I pulled through with the medicine they gave me."

Mr Khan has now been released from hospital and is on the road to recovery self-isolating at his home in West Bowling.

"I'm still in quarantine and abiding by all the rules," said Mr Khan, who has had time to think about how he could give back to the hospital staff who worked so hard to make him better.

"I want to do as much as I can for the staff at BRI who have done a fantastic job in helping people who have contracted Coronavirus."

Mr Khan said one of the best ways to give back is through fundraising and the West Bowling man is considering doing some kind of monthly collection from taxi drivers and anyone else who would like to donate.

As chairman of the Bradford Hackney Carriage Drivers Association, Mr Khan also wanted to send a strong message to taxi drivers and customers to take care so they do not catch Covid-19.

"I don't want anyone to go through what I've gone through, so as taxi drivers we have a duty to take care of ourselves and our passengers.

"If we’re not well, who’s going to provide the service?

"This virus is not a temporary thing," said Mr Khan, who advised taxi drivers to keep sanitising surfaces throughout their vehicles, including door handles.

He also urged them to make sure their customers wear face masks inside the vehicles. And if they do not have one, he said drivers should provide one if possible.

Mr Khan is also asking for a grant to install more secure and safe permanent screens between drivers and passengers, as opposed to the temporary ones they currently have.

"The temporary screens are not as good for drivers as having a permanent one," said Mr Khan. "We need to get a grant so a permanent one can be fixed in the hackney carriages making them more safe and secure.

"These are made of Perspex glass, which is a very solid plastic.

"Once I get back on the road, I want to apply for a grant that would help pay for these screens."

Mr Khan, whose drivers in the Hackney carriage association, are primarily independent and work under Bradford Council, who have supported them through the pandemic.