Coronavirus: Taxi trips to parties as some customers flout lockdown rules

Wednesday, 1 April 2020

John Hartley, 63, is sick of customers trying to flout the lock down rules.

While many are toeing the line - some taxi companies and customers are still taking lockdown rules for a ride.

John Hartley is sick of customers using taxis to dodge the lock down.

The 63-year-old owner of White Rose Cars in Pukekohe says he's had to turn away at least fourteen customers travelling for non-essential reasons.

'I had three on the first night.'

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'I had one person call up wanting to go to his friend's party… he said he understood he couldn't use his own car but because you are an essential service you're allowed to take me.'

Hartley's usually a charitable sort of fellow for the next three weeks he's decided to wave his usual fees - instead opting for a koha donation towards victim support.

But even he's almost at the end of his rope.

'They genuinely don't seem to understand…I seem to be talking to single cell amoebas.'

The says some try to circumvent the rules with a trip to a supermarket near their destination.

'I have people call up to get taken to the supermarket.'

Three out of five Auckland taxi companies were willing to transport a customer to the beach during Level 4 lock down.

'I tell them we wait for them while we do their shopping - it's free of charge, part of the service.'

'There's usually this long pause where their head explodes and then the phone goes down.'

'This is the mentality of the people I'm dealing with.'

But while Hartley might be doing his bit, not everyone's following suit.

Under Level 4 lock down members of the public can only travel to get food or for medical reasons.

Under Level 4 Alert rules travel is only permitted for essential workers or anyone heading to the supermarket or for medical reasons.

Stuff contacted the five taxi companies in Auckland with the highest number of listed reviews on Google with a request for transport from a city location to Piha Beach.

Both Cheap Cabs Ltd and Alert Taxi questioned the purpose of the trip, inquiring whether it was for an essential purpose. When they were told the phoney fare was 'just to visit a mate' the trip was refused.

Cheap Cabs Ltd director Carol Ramsey said all their drivers have been given clear guidelines about which fares they can accept.

'They've got a sheet on who we can pick up which is really just the essential services or somebody going to the pharmacy or the supermarket.'

John Hartley, disinfects his cab before the next fare.

As a result they've had to turn away half their customers.

The policy is a no-brainer despite the 90 per cent drop in demand, she says, for the safety of both passengers and the drivers.

'Yesterday we had a call from someone who had Covid-19 and wanted to go to Auckland Hospital.'

When the fare was refused the customer said 'oh well I shouldn't have been honest.'

'Thank god he was.'

Winnie the Pooh keeps John Hartley, 63, company during the lockdown.

When Stuff contacted Blue Bubble Taxis and Discount Taxis Ltd dispatchers from both agreed, at least over the phone, to transport the prospective passenger to Piha Beach without question.

Jacob Patel, Chairman of the Blue Bubble Taxi Group said this went against their orders to dispatchers.

'We are telling our call centre do not pick up the fare - ask them first where they are going what is the reason before you dispatch.'

Discount Taxis Ltd director Natalie Barlow said that although the fare was accepted by the operator over the phone she's confident that's as far as it would have gone.

'I think what happened is we're getting a lot of aggression when we're refusing their journey - so in some cases it's just easier to say yes but not make the trip.'

Green Cab was also willing to accept the phoney fare. However, staff did ask if any of the passengers displayed the symptoms of Covid-19.

General Manager Rob Wheeler also said this went against their policies.

'The two questions we ask are: is it essential travel and do you have any symptoms? And we're also limiting the number of passengers per car.'

He said he would be sending a ''strongly worded' email to remind staff of their obligations.

Almost all the companies said they'd seen a drop of roughly 90 per cent in demand, with the exception of Blue Bubble Taxi Group, who are surviving with a drop of only 30 per cent due to an existing contract with the Auckland District Health Board.

But Hartley says the drop in business simply means the majority of the public are obeying the lock down.

'I had a fellow who wanted me to drop his brother off at the airport from Tauranga.'

'He had a car but he actually thought he couldn't do it (drive himself) because you couldn't cross the district lines… so he was willing to pay $130 to make sure he was following the rules.'

'That's the other extreme.'