Cab drivers are scared because they have money in the cabs. Remove the bait, and maybe the fish won’t be interested.
The CTA uses transit cards to reduce the risk of loss. Food stamps have been replaced with a card. Why not use those new “smart cards” exclusively in taxicabs instead of cash? Some of the banks in town are part owners of Mondex, which is piloting the smart cards in New York. How about putting smart-card readers in all taxicabs and have the banks in town sell the smart cards?
The necessity of having to carry a smart card should make it worthwhile for the financial companies to consider underwriting the cost because the cards could then be used almost everywhere else. Sounds to me like this is an ideal opportunity to solve both a social and business problem with technology. Most importantly, we would get the cash out of the cabs, which is the big draw for crime against the cabbies.
