FREE NOW predicts spike in London taxi journeys as General Election clashes with Christmas parties

New data from black cab app, FREE NOW, predicts a spike in journeys in the capital as the General Election clashes with Christmas parties across the city.

Thursday is set to be one of the busiest days on London's roads. With the General Election falling on the same day as many Christmas parties across the capital, new data from black cab app, FREE NOW, predicts an increase in taxi bookings by up to 15 per cent. 

Based on trends from 2018, FREE NOW predicts London's cabbies will be busiest between 08:00-09:00am this Thursday helping passengers get to and from their local polling stations, followed by the hours of 00.00 and 01.00am on the 13th, driving worse-for-wear Londoners home to face a potential hangover. When it comes to the most bustling areas for locals looking for a lift, FREE NOW's cabbies predict the West End, Shoreditch and Mayfair to be most popular.  

Terry, a black cab driver from London, said: "December is always a busy month with punters out on the town feeling festive, but this Thursday we imagine it'll be even more busy helping voters get to and from polling stations and back into work.

“I've driven many people home from a Christmas party after a few too many pints, belting out Fairytale of New York, but it'll be interesting to see what the atmosphere is like this year after people have hit the polling stations too."

Vandana Prashar, Head of Operations at FREE NOW, comments: "We know December is a busy month for black cab drivers, and we're expecting an even busier day this Thursday. With Londoners getting out to vote across the capital, alongside many work Christmas parties likely to take place - we're encouraging passengers to book in advance where possible and plan their journeys ahead of time." 

And it's not just this Thursday that will keep cabbies busy. Overall December bookings are expected to increase by 50 per cent - with this Saturday 14 December also marking one of the busiest days in the lead up to Christmas. 

FREE NOW (formerly mytaxi), is one of the leading mobility providers which currently operates in 100 cities across Europe, with 14 million passengers and more than 100,000 drivers. In the UK, FREE NOW is available in London, Manchester, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Brighton, Reading, Oxford, Derby and Leicester.

Image credit: FREE NOW