Over one in five taxi and minicab drivers were working SEVEN DAYS A WEEK prior to COVID outbreak

Over one in five taxi and private hire drivers were working SEVEN DAYS A WEEK prior to the coronavirus pandemic according to new Government statistics on the industry.

The annual Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Statistics report was released by the Department for Transport (DfT) this week and details the number of days drivers in the industry were working prior and during the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the statistics, 22% of ‘taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs’ in April to June 2019 usually worked seven days a week in England.

Using the same profile between February and April 2020, that figure dropped to 9% of the industry predominantly working seven days a week. The report suggests that the drop could be explained by the national lockdown in response to COVID-19.

During February and April nearly half of the workforce drove a cab for five days a week. Just over one in five cabbies each worked four days or less, whilst on the other extreme 23% of those surveyed worked six days a week.

In the same report it also highlights a record high in the number of taxi and private hire driver licences issued in England. There were 364,900 driver licences in 2020, representing an increase of 0.6% (2,200 licences) compared to the previous year.

Since the statistics started being recorded in 2005 the number of licences has risen by a huge 50.7%.

However, due to the timing of the report, the release only covers the first few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. The DfT report does suggest that it is ‘likely’ the pandemic has impacted trends since the release date of 31 March.