Travelling alone can be an amazing experience for those who enjoy adventure. The freedom to go and do whatever you wish to without having to take other people’s opinions into account can be very freeing. However, it is important to take note of solo travel safety measures to keep yourself safe and ensure that you can enjoy travelling alone with confidence. This is just as true of booking a minicab in your own home area as it is taking taxis or public transport further afield.
There are plenty of ways of ensuring safety on the road, including only booking reliable minicab companies. This is particularly important for female solo travellers and people who are more vulnerable for any reason. Here are some safe minicab booking tips for solo travellers seeking to branch out on their own this Summer.
Always book with licensed Minicab Companies
This is probably one of the most important safe booking practices to adhere to when travelling alone. By making sure that your minicab company is licensed, you not only confirm that the drivers are checked and deemed competent to operate a vehicle, but you also protect yourself from fraudulent bookings and would-be criminal behaviour. Make sure you know how to identify verified minicab services by the signage on the vehicle. Don’t be afraid to ask the driver for separate ID and verification to make doubly sure you are using a safe and trustworthy minicab service. Even if you find an unlicensed cab offering to take you somewhere for a cheaper price, do not accept. Your safety and wellbeing must always come well above unaccountable discounts.
Agree on Prices and rather before the Journey
All trustworthy booking platforms will discuss prices with you before you confirm your booking – and will have transparent, honest information available to help you make up your mind. Many journeys come with a fixed price, such as airport transfers or school runs. Compare these with other companies online to make sure that any transactions you agree to are in line with similar taxi or minicab companies. This will go a long way to ensure that you are not ripped off, or pressurised into paying more once you are actually inside the vehicle. Check, too, whether you are able to pay by card or other types of cashless transactions, or if you need to sort out the right amount of cash in advance. Keep an eye on the meter as your journey progresses so that you can check to see if the fare is in line with what you have agreed or are expecting.
Take Precautions in the Minicab
If you feel anxious about travelling alone by minicab, there are many things you can do to help put your mind at ease once you get into the vehicle. Sit in the back, diagonally across from the driver. This puts as much distance as possible between you. Tell someone where you are going and give them the name and phone number of the taxi company. You could also call a friend or relative and keep them on the phone for part of all of the journey. This not only offers you reassurance, it tells the driver that someone knows where you are and is tracking you via real-time minicab monitoring. Make sure your phone is charged and that you have plenty of data. Keep expensive IT, jewellery and bags hidden away wherever possible.
Stay Alert and Aware
Never fall asleep in a minicab, start playing on your phone or get lost in your own world of daydreaming. Keep an eye on the route your minicab is taking – watch out for signposts if you are not in a familiar area. You can ask the driver to take you a certain way if you wish, or to avoid certain areas in order to stay on safer, more familiar roads. If you feel vulnerable travelling alone, mention to the driver that you are being met by a friend or partner at your destination. Even if this is not the case, it will give the impression that you are being expected at a certain time by someone who could raise the alarm if you do not arrive as planned.
