Hire a taxi, swipe your card

Hire a taxi, swipe your card

Staff Reporter
Customers can now pay using debit or credit cards

Bangalore: Now users of Meru Cabs in Bangalore will be happy to learn that they can opt to pay the fare using their credit or debit cards.

Launching the credit card payment option here on Wednesday, Meru Cabs chief executive officer Rajesh Puri said the firm had entered into an arrangement with Axis Bank so that users of the taxi service, having master/visa credit or debit cards, can avail themselves of the benefit of paying their fare using credit or debit cards.

The firm will not collect any service charge from passengers for making payment through credit cards.

Mr. Puri said the credit card payment option was being introduced based on demand determined through a customer survey.

Growth
Asked about the impact of the slowdown on the radio taxi sector, Mr. Puri said that his firm had not been hit as it had registered a growth of 10 per cent month-on-month since it was established in 2007. “The company’s turnover up to November 2009 was Rs. 170 crore. We will close the financial year with a consumer revenue of Rs. 200 crore,” he said.

Speed alarm
Meanwhile, as a passenger safety initiative, Meru Cabs has installed speed alarms in each one of its taxis. It alerts the driver and the passengers when the taxi crosses 80 kmph. The firm planned to increase its fleet to 2,000 from the existing 1,000 cars, said Mr. Puri.

To a question, he said that drivers were not subject to any harassment but were given an opportunity to earn more, and they were trained to be disciplined. “We only ask for a certain minimum payment every day from them as part of the contract,” he said.