Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
269. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport further to Parliamentary Question No. 233 of 7 March 2023, whether self-employed taxi drivers can specify “card not accepted” or “cash payment only”, and if this will ensure the customer cannot subsequently claim a legal right to pay by card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16848/23]
View answerThe regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including arrangements for fares for SPSVs, is a matter for the independent transport regulator, the National Transport Authority (NTA), under the provisions of the Taxi Regulation Acts 2013 and 2016. I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of the SPSV industry.
As the Deputy may be aware, the NTA introduced Regulations last year, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by section 20 and section 48 of the Taxi Regulation Act 2013, making it compulsory for taxi operators to provide a card payment option. All taxi drivers in Ireland must be equipped with a physical device/terminal to accept cashless payments as well as cash. Specifying "card not accepted" or "cash payment only" would not be consistent with the requirement for taxi operators to provide a card payment option. Cashless payments in hackneys and limousines are provided at the discretion of the vehicle's operator. The Regulations do not relate to invoiced accounts held with operators, or to payments within booking service apps subscribed to by passengers.
Cashless Payment includes any such method identified within Article 4 of Directive (EU) 2015/2366 - the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2). A physical cashless payment device/terminal enables each driver to, in effect, provide their own in-person, in-taxi payment method for passengers to pay by card. In general, since the Covid-19 pandemic, the preferred payment by consumers at a point of sale, is by card.
