Petition for taxi drivers to access small business grants surpasses 28,000 signatures
A petition calling for taxi drivers to have access to small business support payments has now been signed by over 28,000 people and continues to grow.
The petition, which is hosted on the online petition website Organise, calls for taxi drivers, customers and members of the public to support the growing need for extra help to be given to the taxi industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hosts have now created an online survey which hopes to detail the extent of the problems cabbies currently face. Drivers are being asked to gauge the rough levels of work they are currently experiencing compared to that of pre-coronavirus lockdown.
Aimed towards the Transport Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, the petition says: “Taxi drivers are in the highest risk category for catching COVID-19. Many taxi owners are self-employed and did not qualify for the small business grant of £10,000. A grant would ensure we can make our vehicles safer for both driver and passengers.”
It continues by detailing why the grant is important for the industry, stating: “Making a safer environment for one of the highest risk occupations in the UK. Our licenced public and private hire taxi services provide a vital support in connecting people with the majority of public hire vehicles supporting wheelchair users.
“Our customers deserve to travel in the safest of environments and this grant would ensure that owners could make the adjustments at a time where their earnings have been greatly reduced.”
The Government’s Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) offers to support small and rural businesses in England by helping them with their business costs during coronavirus.
Small businesses in England which pay little or no business rates are entitled to a one-off cash grant of £10,000 from their local council.
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