Taxi services in Tbilisi will be payable by QR codes
Starting October 1, 2019 when all new taxi rules will take effect, Bank of Georgia customers will be able to pay taxi fares using a QR code. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Tbilisi City Hall is providing a cashless and more convenient payment option for passengers of category A taxis in Tbilisi for customers of the Bank of Georgia.
Starting October 1, 2019 when all new taxi rules will take effect, Bank of Georgia customers will be able to pay taxi fares using a quick response (QR) code, announced Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze today when presenting the new payment system.
Bank of Georgia customers will be able to download the application to their smartphones and pay with it. Taxi drivers with category A licenses will have a QR code system directly linked to their bank accounts, where paid money will be automatically transferred.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze presented new payment system at today's government meeting. Photo: Tbilisi City Hall.
In doing so, taxi drivers will be able to establish a bank history by demonstrating cash flow, and thus become creditworthy and able to use other banking products.
This will allow them to prove that they are employed and have a constant source of income. Revenue confirmation will allow taxi drivers to access banking products”, read the press release published by the Bank of Georgia.
Category A taxi drivers will be able to apply to Bank of Georgia branches to have the QR code system installed in their cars free of charge.
Tbilisi City Hall expressed hope that other banks in Georgia will also join the project and offer innovative cashless payment systems.
What is a category A taxi?
Following the implementation of the taxi reforms, taxi licenses will be divided into categories A and B in Tbilisi.
A category taxis will be the colour white, left-hand drive, with four doors and a trunk, in addition to a taxi sign with the inscription ‘TAXI Tbilisi’.
Category A taxis will be able to pick up passengers on the street and they will also enjoy free parking in special areas designated for taxis.
Category B drivers will be permitted to work for taxi applications such as Taxify or Uber and provide their services to the population online – they will not, however, be allowed to pick up passengers from the street.
Mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze spoke about upcoming taxi reforms in Tbilisi at a city administration meeting today.
Taxi drivers will be provided with cheaper bank loans, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced today. Starting July 1 taxi drivers will be divided into categories A and B and banks will offer cheap loans to category A drivers.
What’s in store for Tbilisi?
Georgia is launching the first stage of a green policy aiming to introduce eco-friendly transport in the country. The project ‘Green Policy – Eco-friendly Transport’ includes the development of an environmentally friendly and comfortable transport fleet.
All taxis driving in the streets of Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi will be required to be white, following a decision made by Tbilisi City Hall today.
More than 2,600 category A taxi drivers have received painting vouchers in a city-subsidised programme that ended on August 10.
New rules will come into effect for taxis today, differing per category A and category B license holders.
Georgian customers will be able to make cashless Euro payments via credit transfer and direct debit anywhere in the European Union as well as a number of non-EU countries, with the country preparing to join the Single Euro Payments Area, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced on Monday.
The Government of Georgia has supported three amendments in the country's financial legislation to facilitate the country joining the Single Euro Payments Area, the Ministry of Economy announced on Monday.