Coronavirus

Being a taxi driver can be very rewarding and many people spend their careers enjoying life on the road.

But, like any career, it is something people have to be passionate about in order to go the distance – and there are ups as well as downs.

Soaring costs and frozen pay have caused real problems for taxi drivers in London, forcing some to find other ways to make a living, while those who stay struggle to recover with the effects of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.

Covid-19 restrictions had a huge impact on London’s black taxi drivers who missed out on the millions of tourists and visitors they would normally transport around the capital.

The pandemic put the brakes on the taxi industry and many others as lockdown and social-distancing measures continued for almost two years.

We recently shared that more people are now getting back behind the wheel of a taxi or are starting out their career as taxi drivers. And, as numbers continue to climb, interesting trends and changes have occurred which could shape the future the taxi trade.

Our industry has never stood still, and as a community, that is something we should all be very proud of. From implementing tech booking systems to upgrading our fleets to create the ultimate passenger experience, we really have done it all.

However, the realities of COVID-19 hit our people the hardest. The general public were confined to their homes and didn’t rely on us like they once did.

Since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak, taxi and private-hire drivers, have provided an essential service transporting NHS staff, key workers, patients and the vulnerable.

As life starts to return to normal, and fares begin to pick up, at Patons we wanted to do all we could to keep you protected.

The Coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed all our daily lives. Over these anxious months, while the primary concern for everyone has been health, for the self-employed getting back to work has been equally important.

We know that many Patons customers found our blog post about the Government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS)

The health and wellbeing of taxi drivers has never been more important.

While no one advises completing a 60-mile round trip to a local landmark to test your eyesight, making sure that you are fit to drive safely is essential.

Small businesses struggling due to the coronavirus can now apply for a new 100% state-backed loan worth up to £50,000, with no interest charged or repayments needed in the first 12 months.

Moneysaving expert.com, a site by Martin Lewis – a well-known personal finance expert, takes you through the loans bank by bank.

The restrictions we are all facing due to Coronavirus will be with us for a while, and whenever the Government recommends easing them, everyone will need to be prepared for what will be a ‘new normal’.

Reducing the spread and keeping passengers, as well as ourselves, safe is now a vital part of every driver’s job.

At Patons we’re trying our best to help each and every one of our customers during this time.

We’ve received lots of calls and emails with questions about what we can do as a company for our customers. We’re working as hard as we can in order to answer every query.

With the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, taxi drivers across the UK are now facing an uncertain financial future.

During these difficult times we want to help and support Patons customers, so we’ve put together everything you need to know about the Coronavirus Self-Employment Income Support scheme.