The
new arrangements came into effect on September 1st, following agreement at the
Council’s Public Protection Committee meeting in March this year.
Cllr
Dan De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning and
Transport, said: “Now that we have given the trade enough time to comply with
the new rules, it is important to get the message out to the public that they
can now pay for their taxi ride in a Hackney Carriage by card or contactless
payment.
“Hackney
Carriages must compete with private hire vehicles for business, and the fact
that people could only pay cash previously was a barrier to their trade. With
more and more people relying on apps on their smartphones and card payments as
they go about their everyday life, the availability of card and contactless
payments should make Hackney Carriages more competitive and help them with
their trade.
“This
change will also benefit the public, as people who don’t carry cash will no
longer have to take diversions to go via an ATM machine to withdraw cash for
their journey, saving both time and money.
“It
is important to note that this change only applies to Hackney Carriages and not
private hire vehicles, as all trips via private taxi operators have to be
booked through an app or through an operator.”