Istanbul taxi drivers oppose fare payment by card

Ceyhun Kuburlu - Hürriyet

The project aims to enable taxi consumers to pay via credit cards and municipal transportation cards. AA photo

Istanbul municipality is set to launch a new scheme that will enable taxi customers to use credit or pre-paid electronic transportation cards while paying their cab fare, but the system has sparked strong opposition among taxi drivers who would prefer to maintain the benefits of instant cash.

The project, which aims to enable taxi consumers to pay via credit cards and municipal transportation cards (Istanbul Kart and AKBİL), is planned to begin in August in Istanbul where 18,000 taxi drivers work. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s (İBB) and Istanbul municipality’s parking lot operator, İSPARK, are overseeing out the project.

“Municipality buses’ gain from electronic tickets is refunded after three months. We cannot work if we receive payments after a three-month delay,” said Semih Kaçanoğlu, the head of the Istanbul Chamber of Drivers. Taxi drivers claim that this new system will cause loss because “they earn today and spend today.”

However, İBB said they would not allow any revenue loss, adding that they will work on alternative payment systems.