Taxi drivers in Brighton may have to accept cashless payments

The proposed new rule would reflect the increasing use of card readers by cabbies and would come into force on Sunday 1 May.

It is not the first time that Brighton and Hove City Council has considered forcing cabbies to accept card payments as a condition of their licence.

But as more people use cards or phones to pay for goods and services, some in the taxi trade have spoken out about passengers being turned away because they didn’t have cash.

The Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association asked the council to consult the trade again about the rules governing payments.

And the results reflected the association’s own poll of members, with the majority backing the change, according to a report to the council’s licensing committee.

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The report said: “It has been reported to officers that it is common for passengers to be turned away from ranks for wishing to pay by card and having to try several vehicles before being able to find a driver willing to take a card payment.

“This could be seen as a public safety issue especially for vulnerable passengers unable to obtain a taxi ride home and putting them at risk especially at night.

“It is also alleged that refusing a payment card is a way to ‘cherry pick’ by refusing short journeys.

“Covid-19 has accelerated the use of card payments during the pandemic as a protection measure against the disease and even fever passengers now carry cash since this matter was last considered by members.

“This does not appear to be an issue with private hire (pre-booked drivers) who use payment apps or are linked to operators that can take card payments.”

Taxi drivers in Brighton and Hove have struggled during the pandemic

Some cabbies objected to being forced to take payments by card or phone, especially because some parts of the area have poor or non-existent phone and wifi coverage.

Some said that the proposed change would mean that the taxi trade was being treated differently to other businesses that accept only cash – and that they should all be free to choose.

Other objections included the cost of the transactions, with drivers worried about having to pay hundreds of pounds a year in charges.

Another driver said that card payments could take three days to reach their bank account while costs such as fuel – like cash – were immediate.

Andrew Peters, from the Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association, said: “It is very unfortunate that we still have an issue within (the) trade on the ranks where it is more often than not that drivers who use certain popular ranks are turning people away when potential customers are seeking to pay by card.

“It is a common occurrence which not only annoys potential customers at the ranks but also fellow cab drivers who provide a card payment facility who may be further back in the queue.

“A potential customer may try the first couple of taxis on the rank seeking to pay by card and then

just give up and walk away.”

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The association conducted an online poll of drivers and said: “Of the 70 drivers who took part, 53 voted in support of compulsory card payments being a condition of licensing and 12 voted against this.”

The council’s consultation with the trade received 23 responses in favour of the change and nine against.

A decision is expected at the Licensing Committee meeting which is due to take place at Hove Town Hall at 3pm tomorrow. The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.