Covid: Taxi firms want more support over downturn

Cab firms said they had seen a sharp downturn in business due to the pandemic

Taxi drivers and firms have said the industry needs urgent support for those facing financial hardship.

Tighter Covid restrictions and fears about the Omicron variant have meant a sharp drop in trade for many firms.

Ian Fountain, of Cab Smart in Ipswich, said: "Independent cab companies need to remain and flourish but at the moment [they are] not and won't if we don't get the support that's needed."

The Treasury said a range of support measures were already in place.

Cab Smart said the number of its vehicles working each day had fallen from 88 before the pandemic to just 10.

Cab firm boss Ian Fountain said fears of Omicron and tighter restrictions meant he was running fewer cars

Mr Fountain said many News Year's Eve events and parties had been cancelled, meaning he was only running a quarter of the normal number of cars over the festive period.

He said: "It is important that cab companies remain out on the road."

Driver David Jennings said drivers were losing money if they had to isolate, since they had "still got their outgoings of their cars, their leases, the council fees, all of those expenditures, and they're are getting zero income".

David Jennings said he worried for vulnerable and elderly customers if taxi companies went out of business, or drivers left the industry

Last week, the government said people infected with Covid in England could stop self-isolating after seven, rather than 10 days, if they twice tested negative in the later stages.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the measure would minimise disruption caused by the rapid spread of Omicron.

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But David Laurie, from the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, said: "Somebody somewhere has got to wake up and smell the coffee; somebody has got to start helping."

A Treasury spokeswoman said that as part of the £1bn package announced last week by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, there was "funding available for affected sectors, including taxi companies".

She said there was £100m in additional grant funding for councils to distribute to businesses most in need in their areas.

The Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme is also being reintroduced, meaning business with fewer than 250 employees can claim money to cover sick pay for employees affected by Covid.

The spokeswoman said the Treasury was providing other support for businesses, such as protection from eviction until March and the Recovery Loan Scheme would be available until June.

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