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'1,500 calls in a weekend' - Taxi firms' struggles with driver shortages

https://www.derehamtimes.co.uk/news/bus ... es-8322236


Image: Archant/Dereham Times

Taxi firms are being forced to let hundreds of people down as severe driver shortages sweep the nation.

One Dereham-based company, Ace Taxis, took 1,500 calls in a single weekend earlier this summer - but had just four drivers to cope with the workload.

Businesses in Norfolk and across the country have been struggling to keep up for weeks as lockdown restrictions ease.

A significant proportion of workers chose to leave or were laid off at the height of the pandemic.

Bus services have also suffered, while a lack of lorry drivers means some shops have been left with empty shelves.

Frank Hull, director of Ace alongside his wife, Natascha, said the present situation "cannot get any worse".


Image: Archant/Dereham Times

He added: "The shortage is massively affecting us, and I know others in Norfolk are the same. We are letting people down left, right and centre.

"On Sunday we had 135 missed calls between 9 and 11pm. When we answer, all we end up saying is 'sorry, we've got no availability'.

"Things have been made worse by the amount of people getting married. We're getting calls from people asking us to go out to the coast and do a £3 job. They are just going through lists and ringing every company they can find.

"We are really struggling for drivers. We put an advert in the job centre six weeks ago and we've not had any applications."

For Dan Booker, owner of Dereham Taxis, fortunes can only improve.

Mr Booker lost 40pc of his drivers and 80pc of office staff at the dawn of coronavirus, putting the firm at a disadvantage when normality began to return.


Image: Archant/Dereham Times

"The thing is, up until relatively there had been a massive shortage of work," said the 46-year-old. "But the work is now bouncing back at a faster rate than I can employ.

"With day centres opening, residents able to leave care homes and more people going to hospital appointments, it is really difficult to keep up. We have turned a corner and now demand is outstripping supply.

"I am just looking to employ again as quick as I can - especially a wheelchair-accessible driver. From here it is a matter of rebuilding."


Image: Archant/Dereham Times

An hour or so later than that I had one £5 job in two hours, got fed up and went home just after midnight.

Not much movement on the ranks (most cars here are with offices and tend to pull off to do phone jobs) last night either.

It should get better, because there's always a dead period of a week or so after the students have arrived, their parents go home, and as the students start classes.

But certainly can't see it getting to the situation described in Dereham

East Dereham is hardly a bustling metropolis I somehow doubt that all the taxi firms put together take 1500 calls in a weekend

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Taxis Are Public Transport too

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He has 4 drivers working, even if he had 40 he wouldn't be able to cope with the so called demand.

But the demand isn't there, it's the same people ringing around the circuits. Same with New Years Eve.

Maybe some of the firms should surge their late night fares. Then they might get a few drivers more.

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IDFIMH