Mercedes-Benz taxi drivers urged to contact finance group for 3 month COVID-19 holiday payment deal

Taxi drivers financing a Mercedes-Benz taxi, like the popular Vito model, are being urged to contact the firm to arrange help during the COVID-19 crisis.

According to Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), the German taxi manufacturers have assured the representatives that a three month payment holiday will shortly become available.

A spokesperson from Mercedes-Benz told the LTDA: "Mercedes-Benz Financial Services will be working closely with customers facing financial difficulty – reviewing each request on a case-by-case basis and ensuring the best possible outcomes for them. For more information, please visit www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/contactfinance"

McNamara told members via email and Facebook: “Whilst drivers who had financed an LTI or LEVC vehicle through Black Horse knew quite early on that they would have a good chance of receiving a holiday payment, drivers who had purchased a Mercedes Vito using Mercedes Finance had been left in the dark.

“Knowing the impact and stress this silence was causing our members and the wider trade we spent the last week chasing every contact at Mercedes that we had, and managed to get, in an effort to find someone in a senior position to give us clear guidance and assurances on behalf of those drivers worried about making payments.”

“We have now made that contact and have been assured that holiday payments of up to 3 months will shortly be available.”

Other taxi manufacturers and finance firms have agreed to make a payment holiday available to drivers, which includes drivers of the new TX electric taxi.

It is hoped that black cab drivers can now take a three-month finance payment holiday which is designed to ease the burden on the trade due to the current coronavirus pandemic.

Image credit: Ross Campbell