With few riders, Metro Vancouver taxi parking lots are looking full (PHOTOS)

Taxi parking lot in Metro Vancouver during COVID-10. (Shawn Sviridov)

With the collapse in travel demand, taxi companies in Metro Vancouver have seemingly parked their fleets.

This is typically a period when tourism begins to ramp up, especially with cruise passengers arriving for the first sailings of the cruise ship season.

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But the COVID-19 shutdown of the cruise ship industry in Vancouver, and the broader tourism industry, has had wide-ranging impacts across the supporting sectors, including the increasingly apparent effects on taxis.

Unique birds’ eye perspective footage taken by local photographer Shawn Sviridov show taxis parked at their home bases during the usual busy morning hours, when tourists from the airport and commuters are highly active. During normalcy, these taxi parking lots are usually empty.

Nightlife businesses that typically help support taxis have, of course, also shut down.

Taxi companies have been reporting a drop of up to 90% in their customers, with at least two companies temporarily shut down.

This is the second hit the local taxi industry has taken in months after Uber and Lyft launched in Metro Vancouver, although this first hit was far smaller. Both ride-hailing giants are also experiencing similar significant customer losses of up to 80%, according to industry self-reports.

Here are some surreal photos of taxi parking lots looking full during the peak morning hours:

Taxi parking lot in Metro Vancouver during COVID-10. (Shawn Sviridov)

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