Travel Managers Will Lean More on Car Services and Even Buses in Early Recovery: Can They Deliver?
Photo Credit: Driver Bubble has designed a plexiglass screen that helps shield passengers and drivers. Driver Bubble
Skift Take
Ground transportation is often the weakest link in a travel program, but if suppliers ramp up their safety protocols in a similar way to the airline and hotel sectors, they'll play a pivotal role for those travel managers eager to rev their businesses back up.
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But that could soon change as cars, taxis, limousines and even buses surge in demand as companies search for the safest mode of transport in the early recovery phases. Swapping Seats And that high demand is already here, according to global chauffeur service Blacklane. “Our average distance is increasing during this crisis — more than doubling,” Sascha Meskendahl, chief revenue officer, told Skift. "We’re already seeing shifts to other modes of transportation as people try to avoid the train.” “Although we are only in the early stages of recovery, we are starting to see a rise in corporate demand for taxi services,” added John McCallion, CEO of booking platform GroundScope. “Feedback from clients is that when they need to travel they see higher risk in using bus, train and air which have a higher volume of travelers forced together in a crowded environment.” Ridesharing is also under pressure, despite the popularity of schemes such as Uber for Business. With multiple passengers, there's less of a guarantee around hygiene standards. Skift contacted Uber for comment. But along with Lyft, large numbers of layoffs were announced in early Ma