FREE NOW seeking to recruit another TEN THOUSAND drivers onto its platform across the UK

Ride-hailing app, FREE NOW, are seeking to recruit another 10,000 drivers onto its platform as bookings reach record levels since indoor hospitality reopened on Monday 17 May.

According to FREE NOW, its data shows an 38% increase in demand week-on-week in the UK. The company is now recruiting 10,000 more drivers as national restrictions ease further and social mobility grows to meet the growing demand that is set to continue once the UK fully reopens.

Since England moved from stage 2 to 3 in the lockdown roadmap last week, taxi journey numbers on the FREE NOW app are approaching pre-pandemic levels, with daily volumes fluctuating around 90% of values from early March 2020, before the first lockdown.

Demonstrating a level of increased confidence amongst Brits, there has been a 150% increase in rides compared to the earlier stage of the lockdown in April. On 17 May, bookings between 5 and 6pm skyrocketed 107% week-on-week, as people could go to an indoor restaurant or a pub after work for the first time since early November.

The most popular day for travelling last week was Friday, largely thanks to a huge growth in the evening as people were hitting the pubs and restaurants. Friday and Saturday 11pm-midnight became the busiest ride-hailing time slot of the week for the first time this year.

On a regional level, in London, the West End was alive again, with Tottenham Court Road experiencing a 188% rise in rides week-on-week, and Leicester Square 184%, the two largest increases in requests in the capital.

Among other cities, Edinburgh registered the highest overall weekly growth (108%), with Leith Walk (up by 400%) and Royal Mile (up by 330%). In Reading, bookings to and from Reading Uni tripled, similarly to Hove Lawns in Brighton and Hove.

Mariusz Zabrocki, General Manager at FREE NOW, said: “It’s great to see the UK come alive again as the restrictions continue to ease, following what has been an extremely tough year for all, including the travel and transport industry. With many people having lost their jobs during the pandemic, we’re pleased to be recruiting such a large number of drivers across the UK; it’s essential that we can keep up with the growing demand so people can move freely with ease. Unlike some of our ride-hailing competitors, we focus on putting driver wellbeing first, and we look forward to welcoming more drivers to the FREE NOW family.”