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Oyster-style cards for cabs
David Williams1 Jul 2008
A new cashless payment system for black cabs is launched in London today.
Dubbed "tap and go" it works like the Oyster system, with passengers placing a card on an electronic "reader" in the taxi which debits their bank account for the fare.
Run by the Royal Bank of Scotland, it will work with any "contactless" bank card on fares of up to £10.
Only 25 cabs have been fitted with the readers so far. But if the scheme is a success it will be rolled out to a greater number later this year.
Ron Kalifa of the bank said: "Customers will appreciate the convenience and the freedom from worrying about whether they have enough for their taxi fare. Drivers will benefit too because payment is faster."
The Contactless system was introduced on many payment cards last autumn.
