· 407 ETR will support vulnerable people and families with a donation of 4 million Canadian dollars (CAD)
· 1.2 million CAD will be allocated to the purchase of healthcare materials by hospitals
· This is in addition to the initiatives carried out by Ferrovial, which have set up “Ferrovial Juntos COVID-19” fund
Canadian toll road 407 ETR is to donate 5.2 million CAD (equivalent to about 3.4 million euro) to support the local communities of Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Peel, Toronto and York and the hospitals in the region to combat the pandemic. This initiative, which furthers the company’s commitment to combating COVID-19, seeks to allay the long-term impact of the crisis on families and to enable hospitals to acquire necessary medical equipment.
It will allocate 4 million CAD over the next three years to helping vulnerable persons and families in Durham, Halton, Hamilton, Peel, Toronto and York, providing them with long-term support. 407 ETR is the first United Way corporate partner in Canada to commit to a donation of this type. United Way is an NGO that has been supporting local communities in Canada for over 100 years.
At the same time, 407 ETR will donate 1.2 million CAD to 24 hospitals in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) so that they can purchase personal protection equipment, patient critical care equipment, and other items that they may need.
This is in addition to the over 300,000 CAD that 407 ETR donated in March so that hospital staff can use the road free of charge.
Other Ferrovial initiatives against COVID-19
Ferrovial imported 620,000 masks in a new initiative by the company to help fight the coronavirus. 300,000 of these masks were donated to the Madrid Region Health Service. The plane bringing the material from China landed at Madrid Barajas airport on 12 April. The contribution, worth 750,000 euro, was made possible by donations to the “Ferrovial Juntos COVID-19” fund which the company set up on the occasion of this health crisis and to which it will contribute up to 10 million euro.
Ferrovial will donate more healthcare equipment to the Madrid Region Health Service and the UK National Health Service when it arrives from China in the next few days. This initiative is in addition to the enormous efforts being expended by the company, which has stepped up its cooperation with the Administration, both by performing its regular activities and also by providing its capabilities and resources on a pro bono basis.
The company announced the creation of the “Ferrovial Juntos COVID-19” fund, to which it will contribute up to 10 million euro to help fight the pandemic. The company will make an initial contribution of 5 million euro. At the same time, it has launched a drive to raise funds among employees, directors, shareholders, contractors, suppliers and anyone wishing to make a donation. The company will match any contributions up to a total contribution of 10 million euro.
“Ferrovial Juntos COVID-19” funds will be allocated for specific projects by the healthcare administration, hospitals, universities and research and development centers, as well as NGOs. These projects will focus on the procurement of healthcare materials and medical equipment, and on research into pharmacological solutions or vaccines to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company will also donate funds to help vulnerable groups and those at risk of exclusion as a result of the current health crisis. The funds will be allocated with the utmost transparency in terms of beneficiaries and projects.
Ferrovial also donated personal protection equipment for use by healthcare workers at facilities in Madrid, Toledo and Guadalajara.
In its capacity as a construction company and also as a service provider and innovator, the company has worked on a number of initiatives to curb the pandemic. It has expressed its willingness to work on converting public buildings such as sports pavilions and convention centers for healthcare use, and it played an active role, with the Madrid Regional Government Health Ministry and the Military Emergencies Unit (UME), in installing a temporary hospital at Madrid’s convention center.
Ferrovial has mobilized its construction and design capabilities to build fast testing centers and has begun installing drive-in testing centers in the Balearic Islands. In Madrid and Santander, it has made 830 parking spaces available free of charge to healthcare workers.
In Colombia, it assisted with the distribution of food parcels in certain communities at risk of exclusion.
Innovation at the service of the authorities
Working on a pro bono basis in partnership with other companies, Ferrovial helped produce the coronamadrid and asistenciaCOVID-19 apps for the Madrid Regional Government and the Government of Spain.
The company’s Digital Hub is working with a “maker” initiative to create low-cost assisted breathing devices using 3D printing and electronics. The project documentation has been open-sourced so that it can be used by maker groups in other countries.
Ferrovial also participated in a group at the Jaén Technology Park using 3D printing to make personal protection equipment such as masks and face shields.
Ferrovial is also participating in the European Commission’s pan-European hackathon to develop innovative solutions to overcome the social challenges related to the coronavirus.
Ferrovial continues to deliver its services, which are classified as essential, after the declaration of the state of alarm due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These critical services include ambulance transport, hospital maintenance and cleaning, street cleaning, and healthcare and pharmaceutical waste collection and treatment, all of which are essential for day-to-day operations.
Ferrovial professionals serve more than 25 million citizens throughout Spain. Specifically, more than 16,000 employees work in critical areas, such as staffing health emergency call centers, providing cleaning and disinfection, and maintaining the country’s main hospitals and health centers, totaling more than 40,000 beds. The company’s employees also crew ambulances and deliver medical emergency response and home telecare services.
