A Moment of Reflection with Founder & Director Gurinder Dhillon
The week beginning March 9th was a strange one. Our #ElectricWeek social media campaign was in full flow but with news of Coronavirus becoming more serious by the day, it started to feel like it was time to hit the pause button and change tact.
Over the years we’d always discussed what a ‘Doomsday’ scenario would look like in our industry, with mental images of thousands of PCO drivers at our hubs throwing back the keys and business coming to a grinding halt.
On March 20th, when Boris made the lockdown announcement, it appeared like that scenario could become a reality. It was clear we were heading into unprecedented times and we had to make swift changes to weather the storm and make sure ‘Doomsday’ didn’t materialise.
We caught up with our Founder and Director Gurinder Dhillon, to get his take on recent events, working remotely, the pivotal moment Otto Car came into existence and what the future lies for the business and the Private Hire Industry.
When Boris announced the lock down, what was your initial reaction?
It was to be expected and we had began reacting to the events by monitoring our drivers takings and being proactive in reducing our rents by 50% prior to lockdown. It’s better to give than for it to be taken !
How difficult was it to find the right balance between the needs of the business and the thousands of PCO drivers who rely on Otto Car’s vehicles to earn?
It’s very difficult, but we are codependents and therefore need to work together so that we both survive as neither of us can do without the other. We’ve been speaking to our drivers and monitoring our vehicle telematics daily, to get a better idea of how they’re doing. We’ve extended our 50% rental discount on a couple of occasions as we know drivers still need this financial support.
How have you found working from home, alongside the majority of staff?
It’s certainly been an adjustment, however I think the bigger issue is how to build a culture if you are not together feeding of each other and engaging in day to day contact. Zoom is no replacement for that. We are operationally heavy and I feel there will be a pull from our side to move back to our hubs.
Will the future of working at Otto Car be more flexible as a result of Covid-19? If so, how?
It will be more flexible but we are governed by our customers who want to meet us in person. So whilst we can adapt to new ways of business, the personal touch is hard to replace.
2019 was a huge year for Otto Car, becoming the 21st fastest growing company in the UK (Sunday Times Fast Track 100). How will Covid-19 affect growth in 2020 and beyond?
It is going to impact us in the short term, very few businesses have been but the long term fundamentals are unchanged and some trends have gained pace particularly the shift to EV as we have all seen the benefit in our cities of cleaner air over the last 3 months.
With the Congestion Charge returning and plans for more cycle lanes and pedestrianised streets in the capital, how does the future of private hire look?
Over the next few years the switch to EV will accelerate as drivers begin to realise there is no going back. With regards to congestion I think cycling will increase but the roads are treacherous with potholes and so cyclists may have a change of heart once the fine weather switches to autumnal wet weather and therefore the cycle lanes particularly out of the city centre are under utilised but continue to disrupt traffic. There may be a change of heart to open up the arterial road so traffic can flow as a key part of our economic recovery is mobility, otherwise people will stay home and not spend.
Rolling back the years, you used to own the largest fleet of Black Cabs in London, how does that compare to running a fleet of vehicles in Private Hire?
I think the big difference has been the willingness of private hire to adapt to new technology from hybrids to electric cars as well as the apps which have eased the way we can move around our city.
When was the pivotal moment you realised the tide was shifting away from Black Cabs to Private Hire?
2015 when the needle switched rapidly from hailing with your arm to with your thumb within the space of six months. We saw the younger generation buy into this new form of transport so easily and knew something big was happening. It didn’t take long before Uber was the first port of call for many and we wanted to capitalise on this unique opportunity.
Written by Richard Tester