The council will relax new incoming Zero Emission Zone rules allowing taxi drivers with existing LTI TX1 taxis to become exempted from the scheme. Cabbies will be able to make a written request to the licensing authority for an exemption when renewing the vehicles licence, which can last for up to 12 months.
Taxi drivers in Oxford were required to change to a minimum of a Euro 4 standard vehicle this year, but due to the financial effects of COVID-19 owners can now request the exemption.
Further help was supplied in the form of licence payment deferrals. Anyone who has either a driver or vehicle licence due to expire before the 30 June 2020, may request a deferral postponement of payment until the 1 October 2020. Licences will be issued until 1 October and then extended for the full duration upon receipt of payment.
Sajad Khan, Secretary of City of Oxford Licensed Taxi Association (COLTA), said: “The taxi trade up and down the country is going through very challenging times.
“Here in Oxford, our union has been in close communication with our licensing authority throughout this pandemic.
“Our members are very grateful for their involvement and the decision they have taken to assist the trade during these times of hardship.”
An Oxford City Council spokesperson wrote on the council’s website: “As the current situation with the Covid-19 outbreak continues to develop, the council is constantly keeping the matter under review, following government advice and looking at its own business continuity arrangements to ensure we can continue to deliver the service and to enable firms, vehicles and drivers to continue providing vital public transport where it is safe to do so.”
https://www.oxford.gov.uk/info/20087/taxi_licensing/1307/taxi_licensing_-_important_news_for_licence_holders
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GERMANY
The COVID-19 outbreak has forced taxi companies in Germany to get creative, with many offering food and medicine delivery services. Drivers worry it won't be enough to avert a "wave of bankruptcies" in the industry.
Leszek Nadolski couldn't believe his eyes when he recently pulled into a parking lot near Berlin's Tegel Airport. Hundreds of taxis and vans filled the lot — all out of service due to a steep drop in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
"I thought to myself: this is terrifying," Nadolski, who heads the Berlin taxi guild, told DW.
An estimated 3,000 of the nearly 8,000 taxis in Berlin have now been taken out of service. The rest of the vehicles still operating in the German capital aren't able to make much money under the current circumstances.
Over a 10-hour shift, drivers are earning an average of €50 ($54), Nadolski said, falling well-below Germany's €9.35 per hour minimum wage.
The situation is "catastrophic," he said. "We've seen a drop in revenue of 80% to 90%."
Nadolski is not the only one to describe the situation in such drastic terms. In the western German city of Cologne, taxi companies logged "at least an 80% reduction" in business in recent weeks, with over half of the 1,100-vehicle fleet staying home.
Taxis form part of Germany's local public transportation systems and have a legal obligation to operate unless told otherwise.
"No matter what's going on outside, no matter what type of disasters, terror attacks or severe weather — you can always rely on taxis. We'll continue to stay out there and offer our services," said Aleksandar Dragicevic, spokesman for Cologne's taxi association.
Adapting to stay afloat
In a bid to offset the financial damage, taxi companies across Germany have started broadening their services.
In Cologne, taxi companies are now offering to pick up groceries or medicine for clients who have already paid for the goods and deliver it to their homes. Taxi drivers can also pick up a customer's shopping list and money and go shopping for them for a set price.
"We're trying to help people who aren't in a position to go shopping," Dragicevic said.
Read more: What's in Germany's emergency coronavirus budget?
Taxis in Düsseldorf and Hamburg are also providing similar delivery services for set prices. In Munich, taxis are offering to drive medical workers to work for free to minimize the risk of infection.
Berlin's taxi guild worked out a deal with the city-state government that allows cab drivers to offer lower prices for grocery and pharmacy deliveries than they would normally charge for a regular passenger fare. They also offer to pick up takeout food from restaurants and other items from shops.
"Most of the people who reach out to us are the elderly who don't want to leave their homes," Nadolski said.
With the public taking extra precautions and wary of close contact, taxi companies emphasize they're doing everything possible to reduce the risk of infection to passengers.
Each driver has their own supply of disinfectant and thoroughly cleans the car seats, door handles and other areas after every passenger. The vehicles are also entirely disinfected at the end of the driver's shift.
In Berlin, the guild has secured a supply of masks for drivers and located a manufacturer who is outfitting the city's taxis with plastic screens. Nadolski said their initial protective barrier solutions were decidedly less impressive.
"My first screens were handmade in the kitchen with a saw," he said with a laugh. "They looked like crap."
The taxi association in Cologne hasn't been as lucky. They've had to rely on homemade solutions so far.
"At the moment we've all been forced to improvise," Dragicevic said. "Some have constructed barriers out of plexiglass, while others have used protective foil."
https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-germanys-taxi-drivers-face-catastrophic-situation/a-53225593
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