FREE NOW, the UK’s leading ride-hailing app is ready to help London get back to work for those that need to. Following the Prime Minister’s announcement, where he encouraged people returning to work to avoid public transport where they can, the UK’s black cabs are ready to play their part in getting people back to work safely whilst continuing to follow social distancing guidelines.
 
This comes as research from the BBC showed that 60% of people would feel uncomfortable using public transport. With over-crowded tubes and reduced services, black cabs provide a safe way to get around as London begins to open[i]. More broadly, journeys on the London tube network are down by 95%, and likewise 85% on buses, as essential workers struggle to find safe means of transport to and from work[ii].
 
Even with social distancing measures being lifted, the capacity of public modes of transportation will remain significantly reduced. A recent survey of Londoners found that over 75% now ‘felt differently’ about public transport as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and were considering alternative travel options. 
 
Black Cabs are ideally placed to support Londoners throughout this period of uncertainty, and to alleviate some of this anxiety. First and foremost, the use of glass partitions within Black Cabs are in line with wider social distancing measures and provide an additional layer of safety for passengers, in addition to the spacious carriages in this vehicle type. Likewise, the in-depth knowledge of London’s roads held by Black Cab drivers ensure efficiency and peace of mind during journeys.
 
This is also why, during the outbreak and throughout the subsequent lockdown, Black Cabs have been hired specifically by medical centres and clinics to transport staff and patients to and from their respective locations in a safe manner.
 
Niall Carson, Head FREE NOW Business UK & Ireland said: “There is not a business in the world that hasn’t been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and many are looking at how they can get back to work in the safest way possible. We've had hundreds of enquiries, from NHS Trusts, councils and charities to construction firms and corporate businesses since lockdown began. From speaking to all of these organisations, the main concerns they have about getting employees back to work are around duty of care and employee safety. Interestingly, it is not the office space they cite as their most pressing concern, but rather the commute to and from work, which is out of their control.
 
“With everyone being more conscious of hygiene since the beginning of the outbreak it is no surprise that people are reluctant to use public transport, particularly in busy cities. We work with black cabs that are set up perfectly for social distancing with partition screens between driver and passenger, easy to clean interiors and all black cab drivers have unrivalled knowledge of the city, helping staff to get to and from work in as little time as possible. Increasingly we are also seeing a reluctance for using cash - so the in app payment, and Concur integration is perfect for travellers to have peace of mind and also for companies to keep track of expenses.”