Private hire booking app minicabit expecting pent up demand for cabs once leisure restrictions drop

Private hire comparison site, minicabit are preparing for a surge in bookings for local cab operators across the UK as nationwide travel restrictions begin to ease, according to the firm.

Demand patterns on the minicabit app have fluctuated since the first impact of COVID-19. According to minicabit, trips to and from rail stations now account for 34% of overall searches, and its average booked fare has increased from £42 pre-COVID to £57 currently. Over 70% of minicabit’s 800 Cab Operator partners are based outside Greater London, including many rural locations.

minicabit also recently ran a survey of its customers about how cab bookings might change post-lockdown. It found:

• half of customers said they would take the same amount of cabs for work, now with 69% taking them from their home rather than their office, reflecting the shift to remote working

• 40% of customers expected to take more cabs for leisure, pointing to the pent up demand to make up for everyone's missed months of travel

• for out of town trips in particular, taking the train is still the most popular mode followed by cab and then coach.

Amer Hasan, CEO of minicabit, said: “After a rollercoaster year for the cab sector, we’re really excited about how our new platform capabilities can help local Cab Operators bounce back as they enter this new normal over the Spring and Summer.”