Mumbai cabs mull going cashless

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, December 9

With no end in sight to the currency shortage, taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers in Mumbai are planning to adopt electronic methods of payments to stay in business.

“We are in touch with some service providers so that taxi drivers are able to accept payments from customers who are short of cash,” AL Quadros, who heads the Mumbai Taximen’s Union said. According to Quadros, the shortage of small denomination currency following the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes has badly affected the taxi trade.

He added that the taxi drivers who have already been hit by app-based cabs like Uber and Ola are suffering more following the demonetisation.

Thampy Kurien, who heads the Mumbai Auto-rickshaw Union, also pointed out that auto-rickshaw drivers too were keen on accepting electronic payments.

He pointed out that many auto drivers on their own had installed electronic wallets like PayTM on their mobile phones to stay in business. Some service providers have also approached the union to provide all its members with electronic wallets, Kurien added.

However most taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers are waiting and watching to see whether the situation will ease from December 30th as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Should the change shortage continue even after that, taxi and auto drivers are expected to embrace electronic wallets in a big way, their union leaders said.