Taxi drivers are being murdered for the cash they have. Taxi cabs with no cash should be less attractive to thieves. Driver could be isolated from passengers since no cash changes hands. Taxi service throughout the city would be improved because the cabbies would have less to fear in the "bad" parts of town. This would, in effect, make the bad parts of town a little less bad. I would suppose that riding such a cab would be like buying gas at a pump that reads your card. The card account would be checked for sufficient credit or funds within a block or so. The driver could wait for the card to clear before leaving the curb if he/she chose.
-- hangingchad, Dec 23 2003

London Taxis http://www.londontaxicabs.net/cards.htm
Book your cab online and pay by taxi [jonthegeologist, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Not certain how the rest of the HB will weigh in on this one, but having had a friend get his throat cut driving cab, you get my vote
-- normzone, Dec 23 2003


Or there could be special "Taxi Notes" - currency that cannot be used anywhere except in taxis.
-- phundug, Dec 23 2003


Like subway tokens. Or pre-paid accounts only.
-- Letsbuildafort, Dec 23 2003


I don't see any reason for carrying cash at all these days. Smaller amounts could always be transferred by rechargeable, encrypted smart cards to maintain anonymity.
-- kbecker, Dec 23 2003


hmm, a creditcard cab eh? Baked in London. Well and truely.

However, if you're proposing cabs that only take creditcards, then I accept that this is a newish idea, but one that would only work if every cab did it. I'd then mark you for deletion as advocacy. Holding back for now.
-- jonthegeologist, Dec 23 2003


how about setting up accounts at dispatches, where they will be able to bill you monthly via mail invoices. Could be another option.
-- v0rtexx, Dec 24 2003


[phundug] there are. They're called 'Cabcharge', and they're cheques that you use for taxis.
-- simonj, Dec 24 2003


I think in a city only some on even one cab could be a creditaxi. It would be best if they or it were distinctly marked so people would know. I think it would compete well. A creditaxi might be the only cab you could summon to some parts of town.

It seems to me that the cab companies would like the creditaxi because drivers and passenger cheating would be less likely. Crooked dispatchers who are enriching themselves at the expense of the company would probably hate it.
-- hangingchad, Dec 25 2003



random, halfbakery