‘We are at crisis point’: Perth taxi firms struggling as driver numbers plummethttps://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/pe ... s-plummet/
Image: Kenny Smith/DC ThomsonA Perth taxi firm is at “crisis point” after being left with far fewer drivers due to the Covid pandemic.Passengers looking to hire a cab face waits of up to an hour at peak times.
Yet city centre-based Ace Taxis says it has cars sitting idle as there are simply not enough drivers.
Other firms have also spoken of difficulties in hiring staff over the last year-and-a-half, with one saying it had five interviews lined up in a day but not one candidate showed up.
Taxi companies are now urging the public to book in advance to avoid long waits during busy periods as they struggle to cope with demand.
Similar trends have also been noted in Fife, where one taxi firm boss fears the driver shortage may compromise public safety.
Crisis point“We are at crisis point”, said Anddy Lothian of Ace Taxis. “We have vehicles sitting doing nothing.”
Anddy says many of his drivers left to do other jobs as demand for taxis dried up during lockdown.
Most have not come back, leaving him with a shortage.
He added: “We are trying to recruit as many people as we can.
“Our phone never stops – it is a lack of resources and staff. At peak times, we are not coping.
“The majority of companies can’t recruit.
“We have invested but we just don’t have the drivers.”
Interviewees not turning upMeanwhile, A&B Taxis says it has lost at least 20 members of staff.
The firm has tried to recruit but people have not even turned up to interviews.
Owner Jim Turriff said: “It’s just terrible. We are just one of many companies trying to maintain standards with fewer staff.
“Drivers had to go and do different things to pay the bills which is understandable.
“We had five people booked in for interviews one day back-to-back and not one of them turned up.
“I don’t know what the answer is. We can’t just put up the prices to pay more because then we would lose customers.”
What about those phoning for taxis?Perth woman Eleanor Clark, who uses a wheelchair, is one of those who has had difficulty in getting a taxi.
She phoned Ace Taxis and Perth Radio Taxis after a night at the theatre but says she was told there were no wheelchair-accessible cabs available.
“My pal now waits an extra half hour with me and gets on the same bus which adds another 40 minutes on her journey,” she said.
“I hate feeling vulnerable and it makes me feel like I should not be allowed out in the dark.”
Both Ace Taxis and Perth Radio Taxis say they always have at least one wheelchair-accessible taxi operating at all times, even at night.
But they recommend booking in advance, particularly if a customer requires a particular type of car.
Covid and Brexit: The implicationsPerth and Kinross licensing convener Chris Ahern believes the effect of Covid will be long-lasting.
“I think the pandemic has got a lot of people re-evaluating their lives and what is important to them,” said the Conservative Perth City Centre councillor.
“Working from home will become normal for a lot, and people are still afraid to go out at night to crowded places, and these will obviously have an effect on businesses including taxis.”
Meanwhile, SNP councillor Andrew Parrott – who sits on the Licencing Committee – believes Brexit has also had an impact.
He said: “Brexit has reduced the availability of workers in a variety of industries and the pandemic has changed working patterns, certainly in the short term.
“A shortage of staff will perhaps lead to better rates of pay and higher costs for taxi users.”
Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson
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