More than 200 complaints made about taxis not accepting card payments

In one complaint, a driver did not accept a card payment because he said he did not have a machine. Picture: iStock

The transport watchdog has received more than 200 complaints about taxis not accepting card payments or not having a card payment machine.

The complaints, released under the Freedom of Information Act, were made in the space of five months.

Since last September, every taxi in Ireland must accept credit and debit card payments, as well as cash.

By the end of last month, the National Transport Authority (NTA) had received 229 complaints relating to this new law.

In one complaint, a driver did not accept a card payment because he said he did not have a machine.

The driver was asked if he would accept Revolut instead, but he declined and said he would only accept cash.

The NTA issued the driver with a fine.

In another case, a driver refused to take a card payment and when the passenger explained to him it was mandatory, he told the passenger to take cash out of an ATM.

The passenger did not take the journey. The NTA also issued a fine in this case.

In another case, a driver insisted he would have to charge commission on a card transaction.

Jim Waldron, of the National Private Hire and Taxi Association, said that the number of complaints is relatively small in terms of the millions of journeys that have been undertaken since the rule change.

"I think we are bound to have some problems, it's a transition period," he said of the complaints, that were released to Newstalk.

"I think the number of complaints will drop down as time goes by."

Mr Waldron said that some drivers are having issues with the technical side of things.

"There are a lot of drivers who still have very basic phones, they don't have smartphones.

"A lot of guys don't know how to use this equipment and it is just going to take some time.

"Hopefully the public can be a bit patient and give them time to get on to it but the drivers will have to transition to get on to the new equipment."