East Herts Council to draft up plans to make card payments mandatory for taxis

East Herts Council has announced that all taxis it licences must be equipped to take card payments by April 2024.

The council says the move will benefit customers who prefer to pay by card and increase the competitiveness of the local taxi industry.

The council's executive approved the draft policy at a cabinet meeting last week, after conducting a survey of taxi drivers in March. According to the survey, almost 95% of hackney carriage vehicles already have electronic payment facilities, and more than half of the drivers support the policy.

According to Bishop’s Stortford Independent, some drivers expressed their dissatisfaction with the proposed change, saying that it should be up to the individual driver to decide whether to accept card payments or not. They also raised concerns about the reliability of card readers and the fees charged by card companies.

The council responded that the policy does not mean that drivers will no longer be able to take cash, but only that they must offer an alternative payment option to customers. The council also pointed out that some nearby taxi licensing authorities, such as Transport for London and North Herts Council, have already implemented similar policies.