Colchester taxi drivers could be forced to take card payments
It comes after complaints that many drivers were only accepting cash during the pandemic
Taxi drivers in an Essex town could be forced to accept card payments despite warnings cash safeguards against drunk students running off without paying.
Colchester Borough Council’s licensing committee has approved a six-week consultation for plans to require drivers to fit their vehicles with means to accept electronic payments in addition to cash.
According to a council report, the authority has received complaints about taxis not being able to take card, and these have become more frequent since the coronavirus pandemic.
But at a meeting last night (September 28) drivers warned cash-only payments can safeguard against “runners”, and raised issues about network blackspots and the cost of payment devices to drivers, expected to be in the region of £100 according to the report.
Local taxi driver for 44 years Dave Daniel said at the meeting he asks customers for cash payments in advance to stop passengers running off without paying.
He said: “The majority of passengers we transport are drunk out of their brains or drugged up or both. There are an increasing number of passengers who have no intention of paying to get home.”
Mr Daniel, who works mostly in the High Street at night, continued to say he picked up two young men this week without taking cash in advance, who pretended to be sick in a bid to open the door of the cab and avoid paying.
He said: “Taxi drivers are very poorly paid and I think it is unreasonable to expect them to have all the latest technology.”
Two other taxi drivers at the meeting expressed support for making an option to pay by card compulsory, but said there were often network problems with card readers, which have difficulty connecting in areas of low signal.
According to a council report, the cost of payment devices is expected to be £100 each, with a charge of 1.6 per cent of the fare made for each transaction.
Mayor of Colchester Tim Young (Labour, Greenstead) questioned whether cheaper devices were available, saying ones for less than £20 had been purchased by the council before. He also said pre-payment could be done by card.
He said: “It’s just the way of the world and the way things are going. I think it will in the long run be safer, I think there are safeguards we can put in place.”
Jon Ruder, the council’s licensing and food safety manager, said if people came forward with other methods of payment during the consultation then they would be considered.
He also acknowledged issues with people not paying but said it was a police matter, describing it as “theft”.
Councillor Roger Mannion (Con, Tiptree) said: “I’m a little bit concerned about the reluctance of the drivers to take machines and it does seem to be that there is some reluctance. I would have thought that it’s safer not to have to carry bags and bags of cash, particularly on the night runs.”
He also said if people left cabs prematurely, then having a card in the system could help drivers ensure they received payment.
The plans will now go to consultation with the local taxi trade, before returning to the committee for approval.