Taxi Driver Online

Aberdeen taxi firm still 15% down on drivers since lockdown

https://planetradio.co.uk/northsound/lo ... i-drivers/

A leading Aberdeen taxi firm is telling Northsound News they've not yet recovered to pre-pandemic staffing levels, and weekends are busier than ever

One of Aberdeen's leading taxi firms say it's still reeling from the pandemic.

Rainbow City Taxis have told Aberdeen that they are still around 15% down in driver numbers in comparison to March 2020.

And with the firm estimating weekends are busier now than they were before lockdown, that's leading to struggles getting a ride during peak times.

Managing Director of Rainbow City Taxis Russell McLeod told Northsound:

"Pre-pandemic we would do between 28,000 and 30,000 jobs per week, and at the hight of lockdown we were at 6,000 jobs per week."

That shocking reduction in work led to many members of staff either finding new lines of work or taking early retirement. At one stage the firms fleet was down by as much as 40%.

On getting drivers back into cars McLeod said:

"I think it'll take a bit of time to get the numbers back to where they were pre-pandemic

"That's for some of those who have found alternative employment will remain there, and some who have retired will remain retired.

"But there are quite a large number of drivers who have returned to the trade."

McLeod is keen to stress that whilst it's proving difficult for some people to get a taxi at peak hours - such as Saturday night - the majority of the time he believes it isn't an issue for the public.

"Weekends since society opened again mid-August are busier than they were pre-pandemic.

"The taxi trade do everything they can to accommodate, but with less cars and more customers that's going to be a problem."

With concerns over the Omicron variant of Covid-19 and new restrictions coming in this week for retail and hospitality it's an uneasy time for industries like taxi firms.

"It's very worrying for taxi drivers and taxi companies" said McLeod.

"Taxi companies received not one penny of Government support during the pandemic.

"And taxi drivers only received after a year."

What a load of nonsense

I think many operators, not all, have always struggled with the truth.

The pandemic has just exacerbated matters.

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IDFIMH

Lots of licensed proprietors did receive nothing throughout the UK.

As did lots of drivers who aren't proprietors, for whatever reason.

But the Aberdeen boss's statement is simply nonsense