Image from Visitlondon
London’s buses went cash free this week; it is compulsory for New York’s cabbies to have card machines installed as of 2008; London’s black cabs are way behind the times in this respect, and TfL (Transport for London) seem to agree as they want to launch a consultation to make card payments mandatory within two years.
According to TfL, 88% of black cab users, i.e. us, the general public, would like to have the option of making payment via a card machine; this payment option is certainly safer for users as they don’t have to carry cash and are less of a target for thieves, and it is often a quicker way to pay. But many of our cabbies don’t want this technology principally because of the cost involved in installing them. It is interesting to note that in New York, taxi drivers have seen payment by card increase from 20% to a staggering 55%!
Many private hire taxi companies, for example Addison Lee, have installed card payment facilities and some also use accounts of smartphone apps as a payment option. However, providing these alternative payment options is not compulsory as yet.
It has to be said that maybe TfL’s timing is not that clever, bearing in mind current feelings running high between cabbies and TfL over the granting of a licence to Uber, the taxi app that is growing in popularity on a daily basis. Black cab drivers are the only cabbies that are entitled to operate on a taxi metre and whilst TfL insist that Uber does not operate this way, taxi drivers are challenging this through the courts.
With an international expert voicing their concerns that London is trailing other leading international cities due to the slowness in adopting new technology, the London Assembly’s transport committee is keen to act to dispel this image. London’s black cabs are synonymous with the city; they are internationally well-known and respected, and are often considered to be the Gold standard but with London being the 7th most expensive city for a taxi journey, it appears that action needs to be taken fairly sharply. Matthew Daus, President of International Association of Transportation Regulators, said: “London is on the verge of squandering that gold due to its poor record in adopting new technology.”
The TfL board is due to discuss the proposal in September and is yet to be put forward for public consultation; time for the London black cab to move with the times, and technology?
By Oliver Derek