Fewer students showing up for fall semester mean less fares for Windsor taxi drivers
Former Windsor cab driver Fadi Nizam recently sold his taxi as he was struggling to get fares.
Even with businesses, bars and restaurants having re-opened in Stage 3, cab drivers told CBC News that fares are fewer and further between as compared to other years and that makes it harder to make ends meet.
"We cannot survive from driving cab anymore," said Nizam.
Nizam said they have already lost fares because of the fact that the border is closed, meaning virtually no tourists are in town.
He added that usually they also see a lot of business from Caesar's Casino with employees needing rides, but that has remained closed.
Now, he said, they are being hit again because most university programs are being held online, which means students won't be in the area.
"[Normally] we are slow like in July and August," he said.
"But usually things change up at the last week of August... business start picking up, like last year, but this year — it doesn't look like its gonna pick up."
Nazim is looking at other opportunities, adding that the job is not worth the more than $500 he has to spend weekly to keep his car on the road.
"You put eight hours or nine hours on the road — you can hardly survive," he said.
For the customers
Driver Andom Gabrzgie is sticking with it but he said he is struggling to pay for the lease on his car.
Right now, for him, it's about keeping the business alive and keeping customers satisfied, even if he's left waiting for the customers to call in.
"Sometimes, I just stay in the car one hour, two hours — no trip," he said.
He said while it is difficult, he still enjoys the fact that he can provide a service to people who need it.
"What makes me satisfied is that there's so many senior citizen, people [who] don't have a car, people who don't use Visa to pay for Uber," he said.
"They expect our service, so when I give them service it satisfies me."
