TAXI drivers in Barrow are said to be leaving the trade in numbers - despite figures showing there are more licence holders than before the pandemic.

It is understood that there is a shortage of drivers operating in Barrow, with some choosing to leave the trade amid the disruption of coronavirus.

One cabbie who recently left the trade said drivers had been living ‘hand to mouth’.

Department for Transport figures show 245 vehicles were licensed to operate in Barrow at the end of March.

Of those, 155 were traditional taxis which can be hailed from the street, while 90 were private hire vehicles, such as those available through Uber, which need to be pre-booked.

The figure was up from 221 the year before, when there were 129 taxis and 92 vehicles for private hire.

Across England, however, the number of licensed vehicles decreased from 298,800 to 251,100 over the year – a fall of 16 per cent.

The National Private Hire and Taxi Association said the huge drop in the number of licensed vehicles across England was because of the “sheer absence” of any financial support from Government for the industry.

Brian White, a 48-year-old dad of two, is among the drivers in Barrow who have left the trade.

He said: “I got Covid and there was no support whatsoever.

“Loads of people have left taxiing.

“You can’t live on nothing.

“People are fed up of living hand to mouth.”

The NPHTA said many of its members have left the industry in the last year, with a lot of them moving to delivery driving after feeling ‘abandoned’ and ‘unsupported’.

A Government spokeswoman said: “The Government has announced several measures to support UK businesses through the pandemic, including the taxi and private hire sector.

“The majority of taxi drivers are self-employed and can apply to the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and operating companies are eligible for local council grants.”