Wolverhampton taxi drivers to face prosecution if they don’t comply with contactless payment rules

Wolverhampton black cab drivers will face enforcement action if they do not comply with new contactless payment rules.

In a report submitted to the Council’s Regulatory Committee, it has been proposed that Hackney Carriage vehicle licence conditions should be updated. The changes to the conditions will facilitate enforcement against non-compliant cabbies.

On 19 January 2022, the Council’s Regulatory Committee approved the new requirement for contactless card payments within all Hackney Carriage vehicles.

A large majority of taxi drivers have complied with the requirement, however some are still yet to provide a machine to allow customers to pay contactless.

According to the report, Wolverhampton Licensing Services have received several complaints from customers stating that this service was not offered or that drivers attempted to add a surcharge for using debit or credit cards.

In the report created by Greg Bickerdike, City of Wolverhampton Council Licensing Manager, it says: “Customers should not be charged any more than the amount which is displayed on the meter or the agreed fare. The pre-agreed fare cannot include any additional charge for using a debit or credit card payment. This does not apply to transactions using a corporate or business credit card.”

Proposed changed to the vehicle licensing conditions will include:

• The vehicle owner ensuring that passengers are able to make payment via contactless card payments.

• The proprietor ensuring that all drivers of the vehicle are trained on how to use the contactless card payment device and are aware that passengers must be able to make payment in this manner.

• Where a fault in the contactless payment system is identified, the proprietor must notify Licensing Services and arrange repair/replacement within 48 hours.