Early data shows new COVID restrictions brings ‘MODEST’ drop in demand for London taxis
Updated: Dec 15, 2021
New coronavirus restrictions brought in to reduce the spread of the new Omicron variant has slowed down the recovery of the black cab industry, according to data.
Black cab card payment firm Cabvision shared latest payment data in the sector showing a drop of 14% in processing volumes when compared to the previous Monday.
The early drop was described as ‘modest’ when compared to work levels taxi drivers faced at the peak of the pandemic.
A Cabvision spokesperson said: “Yesterday, TfL reported an 18% drop on the tube. Our processing volumes slipped by 14% week on week with introduction of working from home. Monday is our worst day of the week (pre lockdown it was Sunday). During lockdown, our volumes fell by 96%, 14% is modest in comparison.”
Taxi rental firm Colts Cabs also reported a slight dip in the number of jobs recorded on their systems. According to a spokesperson, the number of fares remained ‘healthy’ and ‘not far down on last week’.
Demand for taxis and other transport services are expected to be hit by the latest restrictions brought in by the Government.
The new list of restrictions being implemented include:
The reintroduction of working from home where possible.
The extension of mandatory face masks to be worn in most indoor public venues, such as cinemas and theatres.
The NHS COVID passport will be made mandatory to enter large venues such as nightclubs and any place where large amounts of people gather such as sports stadiums.
The introduction of daily tests for people who are contacts of Omicron cases, instead of isolation.
The introduction of COVID-status certification will arrive tomorrow.
The Government will keep the data under constant review. The regulations are set to expire six weeks after implementation, with a review after three weeks.
