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Brooke Walker Reporting If you've ever found yourself patting your pockets, looking for cash to pay a cab fare, a new service at the Salt Lake Airport may help you out.
Until now, there hasn't been a secure or convenient way for taxi drivers to accept credit cards from passengers, but with this new system called Taxi Pass, plastic is no problem.
Here's how it works: a number of kiosks are up and running around the taxi stands at the Salt Lake airport. You simply swipe your credit or debit card through the machine. A touch screen will have you confirm your purchase and then passengers will receive a voucher.
That voucher acts kind of like a check that you will fill out and give to your driver. The taxi drivers then redeem that voucher. Your credit card won't be charged until the the slip has been processed.
There is a small fee attached, but officials say that fee buys convenience.
Jason Diaz, Taxi Pass Spokesperson: "You don't have to worry about the cab driver calling it in on the radio. You have to worry about having enough cash. You don't have to worry about paying for the ride because every single cab now in Salt Lake City accepts these passes."
Philip Harris, Taxi Cab Driver: "It saves a lot of time. And also, I found out, people tip better because it saves them time also."
Salt Lake International is the first airport to try out this system.
The same company that created these kiosks also brought luggage carts to airports, nearly 40 years ago.
