Here’s how to avoid any taxi and minicab dramas to make sure you have the best first term in London possible
This is definitely worth your time
We’ve just started a new semester in a the best city in the world, and first term is the best time to make the most of all the wonders London has to offer. We can go out every night, sample a tasting menu of delights from the local late-night eateries, and generally be happy about the fact that we’re living our best years in the capital.
It’s fair to say that amongst all this wild new-city-new-friends fun, transport probably isn’t top of our priorities – most of us just get in a taxi or on the Tube and expect to get from A to B with no problems. However, getting home after a big night out can lead to a variety of sticky situations, especially for students.
So we’ve put together some tips to help you get home safer using minicabs and taxis, so you can have a stand-out Freshers’ for all the right reasons:
Don’t use unbooked minicabs
It sounds obvious, but if you get in a minicab you haven’t booked, you’re basically getting in a stranger’s car and hoping for the best. An unbooked minicab is risky, so you shouldn’t approach the driver yourself, or get in a car that a bouncer has taken you to – if you haven’t booked the minicab, don’t get in it.
They’re illegal and not insured for carrying passengers. Getting in an unbooked minicab means that there’s no record of your booking or your movements – it puts you at risk, and there’s no way to trace the driver if anything goes wrong.
Just remember – black taxis can pick up passengers from the street by being hailed, minicabs must always be booked in advance and cannot take direct bookings.
Make sure you can get cosy in bed more safely, by being sensible when you’re getting a minicab or taxi
Be careful when you’re booking a minicab
A minicab is only actually booked if it’s through an operator – so by phone, an app, or actually going into the minicab company’s office.
When you book a minicab through an operator, your driver will have been through a police background check, and you’ll get a confirmation so you know exactly which car and driver is for you.
Make sure your booking confirmation matches the minicab you’re sent
Check the minicab’s license plate number and make sure the driver’s name lines up with the booking you’ve made. Make sure the driver says your name before you do – this way you can make sure you’re definitely getting in the right minicab. The minimum info the confirmation should contain is:
- – The car’s registration number
- – The driver’s first name
- – The driver’s private hire license number
- – A picture of the driver (if possible to see on your phone)
If the car or driver doesn’t match what your booking confirmation says, don’t get in it – it isn’t safe.
Only black taxis can be hailed off the street
Look out for the orange ‘Taxi’ light
It’s not legit to hail a minicab. You can flag down any black taxi (the ones with the orange ‘Taxi’ lights) at the side of the road, or from one of the 640 taxi ranks in London, as well as by phone or through an app.
Plus, if you don’t have any cash, you can still pay by card as all black taxis are fitted with a card machine. All licensed black taxi and minicab drivers have been through police backgrounds checks.
Find out what services your uni offers
Kai O’Doherty, Vice President for Welfare at Edinburgh uni, suggests that your uni can be of help:
“Use [your uni’s] emergency taxi service if you’re stuck without any money on you” – many unis run a scheme allowing you to pay for your taxi the following day. It’s a really handy way of getting home even if you’ve lost your purse or wallet.
Use the Night Tube or London Overground
Tubes run for 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays on the Victoria, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly and Central Lines
The Tube and the Overground are also great ways to get home. The Tube offers a 24-hour service on Fridays and Saturdays on the Victoria and Jubilee Lines, and on most of the Northern, Central and Piccadilly Lines.
The London Overground Night Service also runs on Fridays and Saturdays, between Highbury and Islington and New Cross Gate. Night services on the Tube and London Overground are off-peak, and you can use a Day Travelcard from the same day, or for journeys starting before 4:30am the following day.
If you need to walk to-or-from the station, Kai suggests, “It’s best not to take shortcuts or walk alone if you can avoid it – instead, try to find other people to walk with”. Make sure you tell a friend or family member your route, and keep in contact with them as much as is possible throughout your journey.
You can also help your friends by staying in touch with them if you know they’re travelling back home late at night, and making sure they text or call you to let you know they’re home safe.