Minister: No support measures for the taxi industry until after the summer at the earliest

- Not now in the middle of the summer, for the budget we only present after the summer, says Eneroth in SVT's Morgonstudion.

- But, it is clear that we are preparing several different proposals, he adds.

The corona pandemic has hit the taxi industry hard, losing between 80 and 90 percent of its revenue in the spring. The industry is now calling for quick action from the government, otherwise many of the country's taxi companies risk going bankrupt.

Tomas Eneroth says that he is aware that the corona pandemic has been a "terrible killing blow" for the entire transport sector, not least the taxi industry, but that it is still too early for new support measures. The government has so far already presented support measures for a couple of hundred billion kronor and many industries are bleeding.

The taxi association has, among other things, called for the government's adjustment support to be extended and Tomas Eneroth says that he does not rule out that this will happen. He also says that the government is currently looking at other possible ways to support the industry.

According to the Minister of Infrastructure, the country's municipalities and regions now also have a major responsibility to ensure that the taxi industry survives, by procuring school transport and transport services with the taxi companies.

Many taxi drivers could also retrain to drive a truck, suggests Eneroth, an industry where there is a shortage of people. Too many taxi entrepreneurs will become unemployed, it can not be avoided, he says.

- I think we will see companies go bankrupt, we will have people who become unemployed, says Eneroth and adds:

- In addition to thousands and thousands of people actually dying, it is not possible to survive a pandemic with the incredible effects it has on the whole society without it being noticed.