Glasgow taxi drivers will be required to accept card and contactless payments under new rules approved by city councillors.
The change will come into force on 1 February 2027, following a unanimous decision by Glasgow City Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee on Wednesday (11 November).
The new requirement will be introduced in phases, applying initially to drivers granted new three-year licences or licence renewals from that date.
It follows years of complaints from passengers who have been unable to pay for journeys because some black cab drivers only accept cash.
The decision follows a public consultation in which 83.16 per cent of respondents who answered the relevant question supported compulsory card payments.
A total of 1,666 responses were received during the consultation, which ran between February and June this year.
Under the new conditions, drivers will be required to carry a working card payment device and accept credit, debit and contactless payments.
Passengers will retain the option of paying cash.
Drivers must also provide a printed or handwritten receipt for card payments when requested. If a card reader stops working or there is a network outage, they must inform passengers as soon as they become aware of the problem.
The council will not require drivers to use a particular card payment provider, although those without suitable equipment will have to purchase it themselves.
Councillor Alex Wilson, who chairs the licensing committee, welcomed the decision.
He said: “My inbox is normally quite full of people complaining about the first cab on the rank not taking them home because it’s not accepting card payments.
“Younger members of the public no longer use cash, they’d rather tap their phone, watch etc to pay.”
Supporters of the change argued that passengers increasingly rely on bank cards and mobile phones rather than carrying cash.
They said mandatory card payments would make it easier to find a taxi, particularly late at night when public transport is limited, and could reduce delays at taxi ranks.
Some also argued that drivers should not be able to refuse journeys simply because a passenger wants to pay by card.
The proposals attracted opposition from parts of the taxi trade, with drivers raising concerns about the cost of card readers, transaction fees and unreliable mobile connections.
There were also concerns that passengers could have their cards declined at the end of a journey, leaving drivers unable to collect fares.
The phased introduction means drivers with existing licences will not all be required to introduce card payments immediately on 1 February. The condition will apply as new licences are granted and existing licences come up for renewal.