Ah, to not have to carry cash or stop at the ATM machine! Come Sept. 1, the city’s 6,500 cabs will have credit card readers for passengers—or not. Payment service providers hired by taxicab companies and independent owners have until Sept. 30 to install the devices, if they filed for an extension. More than 4,000 taxicabs applied for extensions by last month’s deadline.
Whatever the case, riders should be happy. Credit cards offer convenience and safety, although using them in D.C. cabs will cost consumers 50-cents more per trip. Not a problem, according to a recent Washington Post poll, which shows nearly seven in 10 D.C. area residents approve of the changes, despite the slight fare increase.
Other changes coming:
- Uniform taxicab colors—red with a gray stripe along both sides—approved by the D.C. Taxi Commission last week. The change, suggested in May, will initially occur for equipment replacements due to age, mileage or inspection rejection by the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Uniform roof lights, to make it easier to tell whether a cab is available.
(This article was updated on Thursday, Sept. 5)