Taxi Driver Online

Thought there wouldn't be much in this, but it actually quotes a firm that's *increased* driver numbers since before the pandemic

But not a clue what the first operator is on about with regard to the advertising

Kind of makes it sound like they simply can't afford to spend money on advertising, but trying to say that in a roundabout way


'It nearly crippled us': City taxi drivers in short supply

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/no ... es-8324004

City taxi ranks are getting sparser with cab firms unable to find drivers.

New cabbies are few and far between - with companies struggling so much they can't even afford to recruit.

A spokesman at Green Frog Taxis in Dereham Road said the phones were "constantly lit up".

But, a spokesman added that they simply haven't got the staff to keep up with demand.

He said: "A lot of drivers had to leave during the pandemic because they had families to feed and couldn’t get work.

“Unfortunately, those drivers haven’t come back and we haven’t been able to get new drivers.”

He said that many taxi companies are struggling for drivers at the moment, but that Green Frog isn’t even in a position where it can advertise.

He said: “For us to spend money on advertising, I have to wait for the trade to build up properly. But we can’t get the trade until we have the drivers, so it’s a catch 22.

“The pandemic nearly crippled everyone but we are slowly building back up again.”

Elsewhere in the city ABC has managed to turn a corner thanks to its shift policy.


Image: Sonya Duncan/Norwich Evening News

Marketing manager Chris Harvey said: “We have changed the way we work and it’s really helped to keep us moving. Before our drivers were shifted, whereas now they are given more freedom in the way they work.”

He added: “We've found our main challenges since the pandemic were supplying drivers in busier times like the summer holidays, but now we are looking stronger.

“We have to give our drivers incentives so that we aren’t short on the weekends or late evenings and early mornings, but we are finding that drivers are coming to us.”

Mr Harvey said that before the pandemic ABC taxis had around 230 drivers and post-pandemic they are up to about 285 drivers.

And he puts it all down to the company's flexible working policy: “I think that’s what makes working for ABC attractive, drivers are free to pick and choose when that work.”

I wonder if that's the only reason for the increase?

And I wonder if they changed from fixed shift patterns because of the Uber decision?

For a change, this seems like quite a balanced and realistic assessment of things from Norwich.

But ABC still has more drivers than before the pandemic, and they're still putting it down to their open-shifts.


Taxi firms caught in catch-22 as demand drops off

https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/bu ... ry-8615798


Taxi bosses Steve Douglas (left) and Chris Harvey (right) on the state of the taxi industry in Norwich - Credit: Neil Perry/Chris Harvey/Steve Douglas

Taxi drivers are swinging from madly busy weekends to quiet weekdays with bosses saying the work from home message is still killing trade.

The changing pace of demand means many city cabbies have turned their backs on the industry in search of guaranteed income.

In November, the Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA) estimated the industry is short of 160,000 of the previously 300,000-strong driver workforce.

Mark Mills, owner of Green Frog Taxis in Dereham Road, said that while it is busier at the weekend the drop-off midweek is stark.

He said: "Before Christmas we were so busy all the time because we didn't have the number of drivers we needed.

"But you can't get drivers to come back without the work guaranteed during the week.

"If you walk around Norwich after 7pm, it's almost like someone switched the lights off."

Mr Mills added that the city's spate of roadworks, such as the £6.1 million revamp in St Stephens Street, don't help with the demand either.

He said: "It's killing the city. Everyone is choosing to go and park at retail centres instead of taking a taxi or a bus into the city.

"People don't want to come anymore."

And Steve Douglas, controller at Goldstar Taxis in Whiffler Road, said that while things for the industry are improving they still aren't back to pre-pandemic levels.

He said: "It was difficult for a while. Every taxi firm in Norwich was in the same boat.

"Thankfully, people are slowly coming back to the industry."

Mr Douglas added that without government grants, drivers would have "struggled" to carry on in the trade.

He added: "It was quite devastating for us because our demand vanished.

"The thing that's affecting us most is the work from home message because you obviously don’t need a taxi to walk down the stairs."

However, Norwich’s biggest taxi firm ABC Taxis has bounced back and recruited more drivers than before the first lockdown.

Chris Harvey, the company's marketing manager, said: "Like many others, we had a number of drivers leave us due to the pandemic because of the uncertainty.

"We now have 287 drivers when before Covid we had 230 drivers.

"We let them come and go as they please and we're the only taxi company in Norfolk to do this."

And the ones who can't come and go as they please will be self-employed, no doubt

I don't think there is a taxi/PH firm in the country that actually tells the truth about car and driver numbers, other than maybe the small ones.

_________________
IDFIMH

So if I did that I would have no drivers before 9 am and none after 3pm the two busiest times of the day our shift patterns aren't completely rigid but I do have to insist drivers are available for the busiest periods. I wonder if that is the case for this lot because most drivers want to come to work after the kids have gone to school and finish before they come home it takes a lot of persuading to get them to cover school times

_________________
Taxis Are Public Transport too

Join the campaign to get April fools jokes banned for 364 days a year !

Guessing your “drivers” are self employed, and therefore can come and go as they please?

_________________
Former taxi driver

yes but we have to persuade them to cover the busier times

_________________
Taxis Are Public Transport too

Join the campaign to get April fools jokes banned for 364 days a year !