Oyster card trial for black cabs

Black cabs in London are to be fitted with an Oyster card-style system, allowing passengers to pay simply by touching the reader with their credit cards.

Customers will be able to pay for journeys costing up to £15 by tapping their Visa cards on the equipment, while rides costing over £15 will also be payable by card using the standard chip and pin system. The average fare in London is thought to be £12.

It will be fitted in 80 cabs on a trial basis at first – with the screen and a reader placed behind the driver's seat – but the card company hopes this will be expanded by 2012.

The Mayor of London's transport adviser, Kulveer Ranger, said: "It's fantastic to see our iconic black cabs leading the way with the latest in 21st-century technology.

"More and more folk are keen to pay for taxi journeys by card and this makes the whole experience more efficient."