Since July this year, Transport for London (TfL) has made all London buses cash-free, meaning that you can only pay for your fare by using an Oyster card, Travelcard or UK-issued contactless payment card.
Taxis to Follow Suit
TfL are now planning a consultation in regards to making the same changes to the London taxi trade by 2016.
Research carried out by TfL shows that 88% of London taxi users want the option to pay their fare by card but only half of the city’s black cabs have the facility to do so.
TfL claims that the system will benefit both drivers and users as its quicker, easier and safer. It says that taxi drivers will have a much safer working environment and will be less likely to encounter theft if they’re not handling cash.
Mixed Views
Half the city’s 23,000 hackney taxi drivers have already joined the revolution, after having to turn customers away because they only wish to pay by card. But many cabbies still oppose the idea of having a cash-free system put in place due to the initial outlay of installing new meters and card reading machines.
TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, Leon Daniels, said: “We’re always keen to utilise technology to improve the experience of our passengers. Currently around half of the 23,000 taxis in the capital already accept card payments. We are exploring a proposal to make this a mandatory requirement across the entire taxi fleet from 2016.
“The proposal would also see card transaction fees considered when we calculate overall taxis fares – meaning that passengers would pay the same fare regardless of how they chose to pay. The proposal will be discussed at the TfL board meeting in September and would be subject to a public consultation.”
Are you opposed to the idea or have you made the change already? We would love to hear what you think about this issue. Email us at info@cabdirect.com or visit our Facebook page.