Posted on the 12th November 2026 in PHTM News

GLASGOW TAXI DRIVERS TO PROVIDE MANDATORY CARD PAYMENTS FROM FEBRUARY 2027

Glasgow taxi drivers will be required to accept credit, debit, and contactless card payments starting on February 1, 2027, following a unanimous decision by Glasgow City Council’s licensing committee on 11 November.

Under the phased roll-out, any driver granted a new three-year licence or a renewal from that date must carry a working card reader, making Glasgow the first local authority in Scotland to mandate card facilities. 

While cash will remain an option for passengers, drivers without a device will have to purchase one and must provide a printed or handwritten receipt upon request. 

The new licence conditions also require drivers to ensure their card machine is fully working before accepting fares, and to inform passengers immediately if a network outage or technical issue occurs.

The decision follows a public consultation held between February 4 and June 1 this year, which drew 1,666 responses - nearly 1,200 from the public and just over 250 from taxi licence holders. 

Over 83% of respondents backed the change,with almost 78% strongly agreeing and over 5% tending to agree, compared to nearly 11% who strongly disagreed and 3.6% who tended to disagree.

Councillor Alex Wilson, SNP, who chairs the licensing committee, welcomed the move. “My inbox is normally quite full of people complaining about the first cab on the rank not taking them home because it’s not accepting card payments,” he said. “Younger members of the public no longer use cash, they’d rather tap their phone, watch etc to pay.”

Supporters of the policy argued that modernising the service will cut wait times, prevent drivers from “cherry-picking” fares at ranks, and stop passengers from being left stranded late at night. 

One respondent noted that being refused a ride home due to a lack of card facilities left people in a “vulnerable position late at night,” adding: “As a result, I think twice about socialising in Glasgow city centre and I am sure I am not the only one.”

Another commented that mandatory card payments would remove “the uncertainty and embarrassment of having to ask if cards are accepted.”

However, opponents - including some drivers - argued that self-employed cabbies should choose their own payment methods, pointing to equipment costs, transaction fees, potential fare increases, poor mobile signal, declined cards, and lower tips. 

Despite these concerns, council officials noted that several English authorities and a growing number of European cities have already introduced similar rules.


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