Taxi Driver Online

This is all pretty unremarkable, apart from the driver's ludicrous comparison of compulsory card readers to fridges

And another one seems to think that cash won't be allowed once card readers are made compulsory

Needless to say, it doesn't seem that either of these arguments have cut much ice with officials and councillors ('fridge' - 'cut much ice', get it? )


Taxi drivers in Herts district near Stansted Airport must take card payments, council leaders say

https://www.essexlive.news/news/taxi-dr ... ar-8941635

One taxi driver in East Hertfordshire asked: "Should we mandate every taxi should have a fridge in the boot for convenience?"


Image: Essex Live

Passengers should be able to pay by card in taxis near Stansted Airport, senior councillors have agreed. Around 90-95 per cent of licensed vehicles in East Hertfordshire are equipped to take card payments.

But the district council's cabinet has agreed all Hackney carriage drivers should carry in their vehicles a device which allows them to accept contactless or card payments by April 1, 2024. Drivers would still be able to take cash.

The draft policy, which must be approved by the full council, would cover drivers licensed in the district - including in Hertford, Buntingford, Bishop's Stortford near Stansted Airport, Ware and the villages east of Stevenage. At a meeting on Tuesday, November 28, East Herts Council leader Ben Crystall (G, Hertford Bengeo) said: "[This policy] does seem to make sense. How can it not be better to ensure people have a wider variety of ways to pay?"

East Herts Council surveyed members of the taxi trade in March this year and received a total 97 responses. Most drivers - 94.9 per cent - said they could take card payments, and 54.6 per cent felt it should be mandatory for all licensed vehicles to contain electronic payment facilities.

"I believe it's down to the individual to decide whether they want to take card payments," one survey respondent said. "There is still a great need for cash, for the times when card readers aren't working either [due] to having no signal in the area you are dropping off or if the system is down."

Another wrote: "This is not a health and safety issue. There are many taxis in the town [sic] that have that facility if you are worried about choice. Should we mandate every taxi should have a fridge in the boot for convenience?"

Council officers responded in a report: "The policy does not mean that drivers will no longer be able to take cash. The intention is to increase the available payment options, not to move to only allowing card payments." Some nearby taxi licensing authorities already mandate drivers must be able to take card payments, including Transport for London (TfL) and North Herts Council.

Idiot.

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IDFIMH

there's always one in every town or city

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Did you ever figure out who was Stamford’s village idiot?

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Former taxi driver

yes the pair of them moved to Melton Mowbray as grandad will confirm ( I assume Splasher and clever Trevor re still in the trade are they Pete ?)

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector