3 Hull Hackney Carriage drivers have told of their troubles as they struggle to make money in lockdown
The struggling Hull taxi drivers have revealed that they are earning as little as £15 a day and are barely earning enough money to pay their rent and bills.
With the country in lockdown again, Hackney Carriage drivers are continuing to try to earn money, but they are facing a huge battle after a massive slump in trade.
Drivers waiting for fares outside Hull Train Station revealed they can wait up to three hours sometimes just to pick up a fare with scores of cabs seen waiting patiently in queues for passengers to exit the station.
Every year, they have to pay £618 for a permit which allows them to park outside the station and although they asked for a reduction, this was not granted.
Now, they must continue to work in the hope that trade picks up, but the situation is looking bleaker by the day.
‘It’s been a real struggle’
Alan Moss has been a taxi driver for over 15 years and has never faced a period with so much uncertainty and anxiety.
Sometimes, in a ten-hour day, Alan will make just £15.
He says taxi drivers did “OK” during the summer months when businesses reopened and people were taking advantage of the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
However, that trade has now disappeared and they are now relying on commuters arriving in Hull on trains from bigger cities such as London.
It is a scary time for Alan and other drivers struggling to make ends meet, and even though he has applied for other jobs as delivery drivers he is yet to get any replies.
Another cabbie queued up outside the station waiting to grab a fare was Faizal Khan. In a recent 8 hour day, he managed to only earn £25 and he admits that all Hull taxi drivers are struggling to make enough money to pay their bills.
57 year old Faizal from Hull said: “It has gotten so bad that I have fallen way behind with my bills because there is no work, to a point where I can’t see a way out. Where do we get money from?
“I haven’t got any savings and I’m broke. The permit costs us over £600 each year but I haven’t got that money. It’s just before lunchtime and up until now I haven’t driven a single job yet today.”
‘Many drivers aren’t coming out to work because it’s just a waste of time’
Maz Hussein, 55, is one of those drivers who asked for that fee to be reduced but that request was point-blank denied and many drivers feel stressed at having to pay so much out when trade is dwindling massively. “I practically begged the council for a reduction in the price, given the current situation, but they don’t care and just said no.”