December 30, 2009
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News: New Orleans Cabbies To Accept CC
Earlier this year, New York cabbies announced that they would begin accepting credit card payment which had made many New Yorkers and visitors very happy. The practice makes it easy to record and track business expenses and eliminates the need to stop at automatic teller machines (ATM) during rushed business days. New Orleans cabbies have decided to follow the earlier example with their recent announcement that they too would be accepting credit card payment. However, New Orleans will be requiring that they equip their cabs with the credit card reading devices or be banned from picking up fares from the Armstrong International Airport.
Some cabbies are not happy with the new rules that are scheduled to start at the first of the year and say the rules are unfair and prejudicial. The new policy was approved by the New Orleans Aviation board in September. Cabbies argue four months was insufficient to prepare for the rule and forcing them to accept credit card payment will only push the price of fares up. The cost of the credit card readers and the added expense of interchange fees will force cabbies to increase fares. Furthermore, the cabbies say the alternative is to wait outside hotels and businesses in hopes of catching a fare is not a lucrative as waiting outside the airport terminal. It only makes common sense to know that cabbies need the airport fees to survive.
Tourists on the other hand say the convenience of having airport cabs accept credit card payment is a worthy cause. There are some tourists, however, that disagree. They say paying for fares with cash is an expected expense and are always prepared to deal with it. They are not willing to see fares increase for the convenience of others less prepared. Cabbies who have already begun accepting card fares say it isn't all that bad and that in the long run it pays off because it sometimes means making a fare or not. To assist with the transformation, the airport will be providing cabbies with a special decal after they have installed the reader that alerts individuals that they now accept card payment. Any cab that shows up at the airport on January 1st will be asked to leave.