Data released this week provided the shocking information that male hackney taxi and private hire drivers and chauffeurs are within the top ten most vulnerable to COVID-10 fatalities. In light of this, trade unions are calling for UK cabbies to be prioritised in the ranking to receive vaccinations against the virus.
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show the number of deaths throughout England and Wales. Their statistics provide the number of deaths in the region and break it down by occupation, with taxi drivers being one of the highest. From March to December 2020 it revealed that a shocking 209 male drivers lost their lives due to the coronavirus. This figure represents a death rate of 101.4 per 100,000 male drivers.
The statistics show that male taxi drivers are within the top ten most vulnerable occupations and the highest male deaths rates. Those occupations are:
- Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors (119.3 deaths per 100,000 males; 26 deaths)
- Metalworking and machine operatives (106.1 deaths per 100,000 males; 40 deaths)
- Food, drink and tobacco process operatives (103.7 deaths per 100,000 males; 52 deaths)
- Chefs (103.1 deaths per 100,000 males; 82 deaths)
- Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs (101.4 deaths per 100,000 males; 209 deaths)
- Nursing auxiliaries and assistants (87.2 deaths per 100,000 males; 45 deaths)
- Elementary construction occupations (82.1 deaths per 100,000 males; 70 deaths)
- Nurses (79.1 deaths per 100,000 males; 47 deaths)
- Local government administrative occupations (72.1 deaths per 100,000 males; 23 deaths)
- Bus and coach drivers (70.3 deaths per 100,000 males; 83 deaths).
Priority Vaccination Group
Frontline health and social care workers are already among the highest priority groups receiving the vaccine but with these figures being published many trade unions are calling for key workers including taxi drivers, restaurant managers and machine operatives to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
The GMB is a general trade union who want all key workers to be prioritised for the next phase of the vaccine. A representative said, “Workers are still being forced to use inadequate PPE [personal protective equipment] and some people are attending work despite being infectious because they cannot afford to self-isolate”.
Supporting the Taxi Trade
At Cab Direct we are shocked and devastated to hear these statistics and strongly support the appeal toward taxi drivers being prioritised for vaccines. We also await further government advice on finance packages available to cabbies as to date there has been very insufficient support available.