Taxi driver displays “vaccine” sign on his car
Covid-19 has hurt many peoples’ livelihoods. The pandemic has especially impacted those in the tourism, hospitality and service industry.
Unfortunately, taxi drivers were not exempt. In addition to avoiding crowded transit systems, like commuter trains, the population has also been refraining from hailing cabs due to hygiene concerns.
With Thailand’s mass inoculation rollout in play, this taxi driver took the opportunity to assure customers that they would be driven by a fully vaccinated driver. He even decided to indicate his vaccine status on the light-up sign atop his taxi in 3 different languages.
Let’s see what else factored into his innovative and strategic business choice.
More on Thailand’s taxi drivers:
A fully vaccinated taxi driver
Mr. Sombat Subin, the man behind the idea, stated that the pandemic has caused him to lose out on customers.
The recently vaccinated taxi driver thus opted to write “Vaccine” and “Covid” with a check mark next to the word in Thai, English and Mandarin on the cab’s light up sign. He hopes the sign will help assuage the Covid-19 fears of potential riders.
Image credit: Reuters via Bangkok Post
In the country’s mass vaccination drive, they’ve prioritised frontline workers which include taxi drivers and public transport staff, as reported by Bangkok Post.
Mr. Subin asserts that the sign is “to confirm that the driver has been fully inoculated, so the passengers are not afraid.”
The taxi driver further stated that the sign acts as a talking point for his cab, making it easier to strike up a conversation with potential clients.
Moving towards normalcy
After a little over a year of social distancing and self-isolation, Covid-19 vaccines appear to be giving the public a sense of normalcy. Or, at least, a hint at a slightly normal future.
In the case of service providers like Mr. Subin, it can be pretty difficult to maintain a livelihood that depends on peoples’ trust in times with high Covid-19 anxiety. Hopefully, the vaccination drive will help bring down those fears and stigma.
It’ll also help as a conversation starter between Mr. Subin and customers, which’ll may foster a sense of connection that we’ve all been missing.
Cover image adapted from: Reuters via Bangkok Post
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