After truck and bus drivers, there are now taxi drivers: the British Taxi and Rental Car Association assumes that there is a shortage of around 160,000 taxi drivers in the country. According to the Licensed Private Car Hire Association (LPCHA), the main reason for this is the lower demand during the pandemic, as the BBC reported on Friday. Many did not return to their jobs after the lockdowns.
It is estimated that the number of taxi drivers in the country before the pandemic was around 300,000. Now only less than half as many are active. The problem is exacerbated by a backlog of licenses, tests for drivers and vehicle registrations, the association continues. That led to a “perfect storm”. “This is a national problem that has an impact everywhere,” LPCHA boss Steve Wright told the BBC.
The shortage of taxi drivers is now fueling concerns about the safety of people who are out late at night or early in the morning. “With a focus on the risk to women and their safety at night and thousands of people working at night in the country, we cannot underestimate the central role these services play in keeping people safe at night,” said the head of the Night Time Industries Associaton Michael Kill of the BBC. (APA / Red)
