SASKATOON -- A Saskatoon taxi company said it has seen a significant drop in calls due to school and business closures.
“Those calls are just about all gone now. We are relying on the general public for any income that we get. All the extras are done, we’re running pretty thin,” said Dale Gallant, a driver with Riide.
The Saskatchewan government is urging people in the province to practice social distancing and to only go out when necessary in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This has led to multiple events being cancelled as well as schools and businesses being shut down.
The government is also telling people to stop non-essential travel outside the country and province.
As a result, it’s led to less airport traffic and fewer people needing rides, according to Gallant.
“It's been pretty devastating so far income-wise,” he said.
Annette Pshebylo, manager of Riide and Prestige Car Service, said the company is taking steps to ensure both drivers and passengers are safe from the spread of germs.
Now, drivers will be required to spray the interior and exterior door handles as well as seats with a disinfectant after each trip.
"We're hopeful that putting all the measures in place, with just keeping things sanitized, that we gain some confidence of people that will have to eventually go out,” Pshebylo said.
Safety and cleanliness are a concern for some drivers, including Gallant.
"When people are coughing or sneezing, you really hope they're doing the right thing. If they aren't, well, you're going extra hard on your sanitation a few minutes later, that's all you can do,” he said.
Gallant is reminding customers to be mindful when inside the cab and to do what they can to practice good sanitation and proper social distancing.
Captain Taxi in Saskatoon has implemented similar measures and said it’s also feeling the effects.
Uber telling people to travel only when necessary
Meanwhile, as of Tuesday, Uber has suspended the shared ride feature in Canada and the U.S. to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The pooled ride component, which offers rides at a lower price for people who share the car with other passengers heading in the same direction, is now unavailable when users open the app.
Other ride options are still available on Uber, but riders in affected cities will see a message in the app notifying them to only travel when necessary.
“Our goal is to help flatten the curve of community spread in the cities we serve,” Senior Vice President of Uber Rides and Platform Andrew Macdonald said in a statement. “We remain in close contact with local leaders and will continue to work with them to discourage non-essential travel.”
The app also outlines steps both drivers and passengers should take to prevent the spread of germs.
Uber said it is working on providing drivers with disinfectants to help them keep their car clean, but that supplies are low.
The company also said it will provide drivers who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or are instructed to quarantine by public health officials with financial assistance for up to 14 days.
