Barcelona taxi drivers can now accept contactless payments thanks to a recent agreement signed between “la Caixa” and the Metropolitan Taxi Institute.

Some 5,000 taxis are expected to adopt the service over the coming months, installing new contactless card-reading terminals that allow taxi customers to pay with their contactless cards.

The initiative comes under the framework of the “Barcelona Contactless” project launched by the City Council. The system will be more secure for taxi drivers, who will not need to have so much cash in their vehicles and it will make taxi travel more convenient for passengers.

Taxi drivers who adopt the system will be entered into a drawing and customers will be offered, during select months, five discounts a day of up to 15 euros where they pay for their journey with a contactless card.