The luxury of a black cab could be even easier to succumb to after a consultation on the launch of cashless payments.

Passengers are being asked to have their say on whether an alternative to cash payment should be accepted in taxis, after a survey found 83 per cent of customers said they would like the option of paying by card.

There is no intention to stop taxis accepting cash payments, however, or for taxis to become cashless.

“Card payments have become a central part of the lives of Londoners over the past few years, something that has only increased since the introduction of contactless payment,” said Helen Chapman, TfL’s general manager of taxi and private hire.

“We are always trying to find ways we can improve the services that we offer to our customers and, with only half of taxis currently accepting card, we are keen to hear whether passengers and drivers feel that this would be a worthwhile change.”

The consultation also asks if contactless payments, both with cards and other payment methods, should be accepted in all taxis. The current contactless card payment limit is £20, but this will increase to £30 in September 2015 – which would allow passengers to pay for most journeys, with the average taxi fare being £19.50.

This consultation is open until Friday 24 July and anyone with a view on the proposals can complete an online survey at: https://consultations.tfl.gov.uk/taxis/card-payment. A summary of the responses to the consultation will be published once the consultation period has ended, and, if appropriate, the TfL Board will be invited to approve any changes to the relevant taxi regulations