May 23, 2013
Wednesday October 6, 2010
ATLANTA (AP) -- Passengers in some Atlanta taxis will soon be
able to pay for a ride by swiping their credit cards from the back
seat.
The multimedia payment systems are already in use in a number of
other cities. Installation began Friday in Checker Cab vehicles and
president Rick Hewatt said all of the company's roughly 200
vehicles should be outfitted within the next 60 days.
Hewatt said the machines allow passengers to pay without handing
over their card to the driver, increasing security for both, and
will also provide entertainment and news content during the ride.
Similar machines caused a controversy in New York in 2007, when
cabbies called a walkout to protest new rules requiring their
installation. The drivers said the technology was costly and worked
erratically.
