SUMMER ON THE RANK
HOW TAXI AND PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS CAN MAKE THE MOST OF HOLIDAY TRAVEL
Article by Rev’d Paul Newbery The Elite Family
www.elite-liverpool.co.uk paul@elite-liverpool.co.uk
Summer brings opportunity, disruption and the occasional seat that feels like it has been preheated in a pizza oven. For taxi and private hire drivers, the warmer months can mean stronger airport work, more leisure trips, later-night demand and a welcome chance to replace school-run routines with holiday travel revenue.
But it also brings new pressures: heat, dehydration, traffic, tired passengers and the challenge of deliver- ing great service when everyone is hot, late or wearing flip-flops that probably should have stayed at the beach. Here’s how drivers can make summer work for them while staying safe, professional and in good spirits.
Holiday travel: summer’s big opportunity
For many drivers, summer changes the shape of the working week. The regular rhythm of school runs may fade, but that does not necessarily mean demand drops. In many areas it simply shifts. Airport transfers, railway station pickups, hotel journeys, seaside runs, city-centre evenings and family visits all tend to pick up when holiday season gets going.
Industry data also shows that private hire remains the dominant part of the market, with growth in driver licences and app-based bookings continuing to reshape how journeys are sourced and managed. That matters because summer passengers are often planning around flights, weekend breaks, attractions and events rather than the school bell.
That shift can be good news for drivers who plan ahead. UK summer travel demand has remained strong, with holidaymakers taking shorter but frequent trips, domestic travel still important, and airports preparing for very busy peak periods.
In practical terms, that means more pre-booked work, more luggage, more early starts and more customers who begin the journey cheerful and end it nervously
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asking whether Terminal 2 is definitely Terminal 2. Drivers who understand local airport patterns, allow extra time for congestion and communicate clearly about pickup points can turn summer stress into repeat business.
No school runs? no panic
School runs can be the bread-and-butter work that gives structure to the day, so when the holidays arrive, it’s easy to feel that a dependable slice of income has vanished. The trick is not to wait for the market to come to you. Summer rewards drivers who think in blocks of demand: airport mornings, shopping and appointment runs through the day, attraction and hotel traffic in the afternoon, then restaurant, pub and event work in the evening. Instead of one fixed routine, summer often offers several smaller peaks.
A practical summer strategy might include encouraging advance bookings for airport transfers, reminding regular passengers that you are available for holiday journeys, and identifying local hotspots such as hotels, caravan parks, train stations, retail centres and family attractions. Keep an eye on local events calendars too. A concert, festival or race day can do more for your takings than three mornings outside the school gates. The key is flexibility. If winter is about routine, summer is about being in the right place before everyone else has had the same idea.
Keeping cool: health matters in hot weather
Hot weather can affect anyone, and drivers are not exempt just because the windows are down and the radio is playing summer classics. Public health guidance warns that overheating, dehydration, heat exhaustion and, in severe cases, heatstroke are real risks in hot conditions. Heat affects concentration, comfort and decision-making, all of which matter when you are working long hours in traffic. The human body relies heavily on sweating to lose heat, and dehydration makes that much harder.
For drivers, the basics matter. Carry plenty of drinking water and sip regularly through the day rather than waiting until you feel thirsty. The AA has advised carrying at least a litre of water per person when
JUNE 2026 PHTM
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