The chief executive of the company which operates the 13cabs taxi network estimates about one third of taxi drivers in New South Wales and Victoria are off the road with vehicles idle as lockdowns bite and demand sinks in major cities.

Andrew Skelton, the chief executive of ASX-listed A2B Ltd, said on Monday that “taxi drivers are feeling the pinch” across the 7000-strong 13cabs network. But thousands had diversified and were using their vehicles to make deliveries for online purchases made by people at home.