Black cabs to stop charging fees on card payments

Black cab passengers will no longer be charged a fee for paying by card.

Credit and debit card users were previously faced with a surcharge of £1 or 10 per cent - whichever was greater - in London taxis.

The move means passengers will be charged the amount shown on the meter whatever their payment method, Transport for London said.

It comes some months before all black cabs will be required to accept card payments. That will happen from October following a decision by TfL.

Transport bosses claim taxi drivers are being compensated for the cost of accepting cards by the minimum fare being increased by 20 pence, bringing it to £2.60.

Garrett Emmerson, TfL's chief operating officer for surface transport, said: "We are pleased to be able to reduce the cost for taxi passengers paying by card, as people now use them in every aspect of their lives.

"The acceptance of these types of payments in all taxis from October will be a huge plus for Londoners, visitors and drivers."