CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — For weeks, Pat and the Elephant has only been making about 10 per cent of the trips it had before the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) pandemic ground much business activity to a halt on Prince Edward Island.
Halbert Pratt, manager of the transportation service for physically challenged clients, says calls are down from an average of 100 to 160 per day to between 11 and 20 daily calls.
Most trips now are medical calls, such as taking clients to dialysis.
Some clients are still hitching a ride for groceries or to have prescriptions renewed.
The drastic drop in demand for the service is being deeply felt by this not-for-profit operation.
Pratt says 15 people have been laid off.
“It is definitely going to affect our bottom line,’’ he says.
“We are going to take a hit.’’
Still, priority is to provide a safe service to the clients calling for a ride.
After each person is transported, the vehicle is thoroughly disinfected. Masks are also made available to drivers and passengers.
“We are trying to keep our trucks as sterile as we can,’’ says Pratt.
Not many people are hailing a cab these days, either.
Kirby Eldershaw, a driver and former owner with Charlottetown-based Yellow Cab, says traffic is down about 90 per cent.
Yellow Cab has four taxis working every day and one to two at night. That is down from 15 to 20 cabs per day “and a lot at night’’ for the past few weeks, says Eldershaw.
He says cab rides now are typically for essential services like getting groceries, going to a pharmacy or a medical-related trip.
Eldershaw says drivers are disinfecting vehicles. He gives his cab a thorough wipe after each ride.
Contracting COVID-19, he says, is in the back of his mind.
“I mean, I’m worried about it every day,’’ he says.
“Every customer you pick up, they talk about it.’’
Eldershaw also drives a school bus but, obviously, not now.
Students have not been in their classrooms since the start of March break and will not return until at least May 11.
“I’m really missing the kids,’’ says Eldershaw.
David MacNevin, owner of Grabba Cab in Charlottetown, watches the daily briefings of chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison hoping to hear positive news.
His business is down between 80 and 85 per cent due to the pandemic. He owns six cabs but only has two working – and not working much at that.
MacNevin, who has applied for provincial assistance, says the taxi industry in P.E.I. really relies on tourism.
He says all his drivers took a tour guide course in preparation of what was once expected to be a record cruise ship season in the province.
However, the start of the cruise-ship season has been postponed to at least July 1.
