Since March of 2020, taxi and Maxi Taxi services across Sydney Region have been struggling. With the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and the province in its second lockdown, cab drivers are not seeing their usual ridership as rider’s habits have changed.
“There isn’t the shopping trips or the visiting going on, you can tell it’s slowed down dramatically, there were doctors appointments that people were going to and even those are almost non-existent,” said Peter Neufeld, President of Waterloo Taxi.
However, for the future, when the pandemic is over, Neufeld is expecting a massive influx of travelers using their services to get to the airport, because that is a large part of the taxi business.
“We need people to start traveling again, it’s all part and parcel, it’s that trickle-down effect of business, people travel, people need a way to the airport, we’re that option, and that’s what I’m waiting for, and that will be the big part of things turning around when people start traveling again.”
Not only is out-of-town traveling important for taxi services, but Neufeld said it is crucial to have those in town trips as well.
“We need people to go out and do things again, so I’m hoping things turn around for 2021, I’m crossing my fingers on this, and hoping for the best.”
Neufeld added throughout the pandemic, cab drivers have not seen much help from the province, which has kept Waterloo Taxi scrambling to create new and innovative ways to draw more ridership for 2021.