The new arrangements came into effect on September 1st, following agreement at the Council’s Public Protection Committee meeting in March this year.

Cllr Dan De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “Now that we have given the trade enough time to comply with the new rules, it is important to get the message out to the public that they can now pay for their taxi ride in a Hackney Carriage by card or contactless payment.

“Hackney Carriages must compete with private hire vehicles for business, and the fact that people could only pay cash previously was a barrier to their trade. With more and more people relying on apps on their smartphones and card payments as they go about their everyday life, the availability of card and contactless payments should make Hackney Carriages more competitive and help them with their trade.

“This change will also benefit the public, as people who don’t carry cash will no longer have to take diversions to go via an ATM machine to withdraw cash for their journey, saving both time and money.

“It is important to note that this change only applies to Hackney Carriages and not private hire vehicles, as all trips via private taxi operators have to be booked through an app or through an operator.”