Three cabbies die from covid and trade pleads with council for support

Three cabbies in Brighton and Hove have died from the coronavirus, it emerged this evening (Sunday 31 January) as the trade issued an urgent plea for support.

Others have tested positive for covid-19 as the trade also suffers from a catastrophic loss of business over the past year.

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The Brighton and Hove Taxi Trade Forum Association called for an urgent “extraordinary trade forum meeting” to be arranged as soon as possible with Brighton and Hove City Council.

The taxi trade – including private hire drivers – want the council to provide financial help in the way that a number of other councils have.

Taxi trade rep Andrew Peters wrote the council and said: “This last year the local trade has faced a catastrophic downfall of customers and most of the licensed drivers and proprietors are only just able to hang on.

“Some may have taken advantage of finance holidays for vehicle loans but this was only for a limited period.

“Conversely, some have had to suffer the indignity of visiting a food bank in order to keep food on their table for their family.

“Along with the main points that must be addressed, the state of the mental health and psychological welfare of the drivers and proprietors cannot be underestimated or overstated.

“It is also vitally important to fully record the plight of the Brighton and Hove licensed drivers and proprietors so it is fully recognised by the council in their role as the licensing authority.

“Sadly, I also have to provide an update that three Brighton and Hove licensed drivers have now died due to the virus with a number of others currently suffering from it having tested positive.

“Sadly, many of these did not have the luxury of the choice of whether to work or not, even withstanding the risks.”

A petition has been set up calling for financial help and Mr Peters said: “We are very aware that individuals in the trade have contacted the council on this specific matter and well done to all of those that have.

“The Trade Forum as a collective and acting for the 1,200+ drivers/proprietors now wish to inform you that an online petition is now in place setting out where other licensing authorities have provided financial support to their local trade in recognising the plight that drivers/proprietors are currently suffering.

“The petition can be viewed at www.tinyurl.com/cab-covid19.

“It is respectfully pointed out that other licensing areas have also provided funding for the installation of protective screens for saloon cars.”

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Cabbies in Bury, for example, receive £677 a month, all drivers in Wales were eligible for £4,000 and in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole the figure was £2,500.

Mr Peters said: “In 2020 when the council were given funding from the government to assist local businesses, the local cab trade sought financial help to install vehicle partition screens at an average cost of £300 per installation.

“The trade were told by the council that money provided by government did not cover any provision for such a grant and wrote to the government seeking permission to use funding that was left over to provide financial assistance for the screens. We were told that there was no response.

“Over the last few months, a considerable number of licensing authorities have provided various amounts of funding to their respective local cab drivers/proprietors without any issues as shown and the Brighton and Hove taxi/private hire trade is seeking support to petition council to do the same here.