Taxi Driver Online

I wonder how all this could possibly be sorted out?


Passengers refused taxis by cabbies in Tunbridge Wells only taking cash

https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-new ... ge-8171709

Council said it is 'encouraging' cabbies to take card payments


Image: Kent Live

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said it had written to cab drivers about taking card payments after anger from would-be passengers refused a ride because they do not have cash. Drivers ranking up outside Tunbridge Wells railway station are regularly saying no to potential fares who want to use cards to pay.

Some tell passengers their card reader is broken, while others say they do not have one. One dad's post on social media about being refused, with his two children in tow, sparked a torrent of posts of similar experiences from people wanting to use Tunbridge Wells station's rank.

John Lawton, 50, from Broadmead in Tunbridge Wells, told KentLive: "Taxi drivers declining card payments which I experienced Saturday with my two children outside Tunbridge Wells station is not acceptable, as we move towards a cashless society simply saying ‘cash only’ and being extremely rude isn’t what we should expect."

"My children looked baffled and didn’t really understand why the only two taxis in the queue declined us, if they wanted to charge me extra for a surcharge utilising a wireless payment machine then I would be happy to pay it. Not all taxi drivers are the same however. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council needs to take a good look at itself and address this rude unpleasant situation."

Comments on Mr Lawton's post on Nextdoor show how residents try to get around the 'cash only' problem, by quickly asking the drivers in the rank who will take cards and "finding one usually at the back" and hopping in, rather than queueing only to be refused.

One man said: "They were all quite capable of taking card during the pandemic, so this is a decision they themselves have taken to stop using them. It would be better that it moved back to how it operated during the pandemic."

Many questioned how people can ask for cash only in what is supposed to be a "cashless society".

The borough council's Luke Everitt, cabinet member for environment, sustainability and carbon reduction, told us cab drivers were "within their rights" to refuse someone who could only pay by card, but said the council's licensing team had written to taxi drivers "encouraging those who do not accept card payments to do so".

He said: "I can understand how frustrating it is to find that a taxi is cash only when you just want to get on with your journey. Under existing council policy drivers are not obliged to accept card payments. It is a business decision on their part which I’m sure is influenced by the transaction fees they might incur. If a passenger does not have an alternative means of payment the driver would be within their rights to decline the fare.

"That said, the council’s Licensing team has recently written to the taxi drivers encouraging those who do not accept card payments to do so, and to advise them that drivers should be flexible and take people to cash points if necessary to avoid leaving them stranded. We will continue to work with local drivers to develop practical taxi licensing that residents would expect while balance drivers' business needs in a difficult financial time for us all."


Image: Kent Live

There's the giveaway that some drivers are bluffing - why would cars at the back be more likely to have a card reader?

And no doubt it's shorter runs as well


I'd guess most drivers are willing enough to go via a cash point, and there's actually other reasons why people might be left 'stranded'.

And, I mean, in the normal courses of events refusing to go via a cash point would breach the terms of the driver's licence...

Well change the policy then.

If you can't be arsed to do that then tell the public.

It's down to you.

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IDFIMH