A Manchester-based tech firm, which provides tech to taxi and private hire firms, has pledged half-a-million pounds to support the industry during the coronavirus pandemic.
Autocab, based in Cheadle, said the £500,000 relief fund is in recognition of the difficulties faced by the taxi industry, which has seen revenue impacted by government restrictions on non-essential movement.
The firm has asked customers to opt-in to the Operator Relief Fund before April 6 if they require a discount on payments for their booking and dispatch software over the next three months.
The fund will be distributed proportionally across all operators that opt-in, it said.
Autocab chief executive Safa Alkateb said: “The hundreds of taxi operators we work with can apply for this fund if they’ve been negatively impacted.
“It’s one of several measures we’ve introduced to help during this period of disruption.
“We’ve pledged to provide as much additional support and added value to our customers as we can, and make no profit while the crisis is ongoing.”
The firm said it is also in discussions with “several” large 海角视频 retailers - who are either facing high levels of demand or are not set up to fulfil home delivery orders - to use its iGo network, which gives companies access to around 80,000 taxi drivers across the 海角视频.
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Chief marketing officer Jon Smith said: “Private hire taxis are able to provide additional capacity for home delivery, along with other key services in their local communities.
“We have the technology, and the supply, that can link everyone together.
“We want to do our bit and make this happen as it will help people stay safe at home and enable drivers to pick up much needed work.”
Mr Alkateb said the industry was “able to manage the challenges of a pandemic.
He added: "We’ve seen companies step up hygiene practices, including disinfecting between trips and installing protective screens to separate passenger and driver.
“We feel it’s important to recognise the part taxi drivers, and their firms, play in serving a local community.
“That’s why we’ve set up this fund and are working on iGo initiatives to support them.”