No more desperately searching for an ATM at the end of the night.

Cashless payment is the norm in most environments nowadays. While it was already on the rise, the coronavirus pandemic only escalated this transition; most businesses asked customers to pay by card instead of cash.

However, one area where cashless payment has not taken off is with taxis. While you can easily pay by card via an app like FREE NOW or Bolt, if you’re hailing a taxi off the street, cashless payment is rarely an option. This can lead to a taxi refusing you service, or needing to stop at an ATM while the meter is running. If you have tried to get a taxi lately, you know how difficult it can be; this is only exasperated by the requirement to pay in cash.

Well this could soon be a thing of the past. According to The Independent, The National Transport Authority (NTA) are proposing that all taxis must facilitate cashless payments. The NTA also proposes that there be a maximum fare rate; the cost of running a taxi has increased significantly in recent years. The Independent said this of the maximum fare:

“The report published today found that overall, the costs associated with operating a taxi increased between 2017 and 2022 by approximately 11pc. An increase in maximum taxi fare levels, to reflect this, is recommended in the report.”

Mandatory cashless payment facilities for taxis was proposed in 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to The Independent, “these proposals are now open for public consultation until Friday, May 27 at 12pm, with the matter to be brought to the NTA board for consideration shortly thereafter.”

Taxi fares are generally reviewed every two years by the NTA.

Header image via Shutterstock

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