Don’t be surprised if you see a Geelong cab driver haul out an old-fashioned credit card impression-taking device and a set of carbons over the next few days. A Victoria-wide software glitch has caused a hiccup in Geelong’s taxi services, leaving roughly one-third of individual cars unable to electronically process EFTPOS payments via their Cabcharge machines.

The cab drivers can still accept payment by credit card; however, they must handle it the old-fashioned way by writing everything down. This has made some cardholders leery, perhaps understandable in these more modern days of increasing credit card fraud and identity theft.

An alternative is to pay in an even more old-fashioned way—with cash.

A Victorian Taxi Directorate (VTD) representative stated the problem should be repaired within a few days. In the meantime, the representative added, payment by cash might be the best solution, so long as passengers ensure they receive a proper receipt at their destination. The receipt should include the taxi number and the driver’s identification, and it should later be reconciled against the passenger’s banking statements.

For passengers still paying by credit card, the VTD advises rather more caution than usual. In particular, e-tickets should be torn through the magnetic strip to ensure they can’t be processed at a later date.

The driver must still keep a manual docket and passengers are responsible for the Fares bit.

The multi-purpose taxi programme cards pose a special problem, as they are also read by the Cabcharge electronic machine. Elderly and disabled passengers can still receive their taxi discounts; however, these cards must also be processed manually.

Source: Geelong Advertiser