Privacy Policy

Introduction

East Kent Taxis ("we", "us", "our") provides private hire taxi services across Canterbury and East Kent. This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have over it. It applies to our website, booking app, and any bookings made by phone, WhatsApp or email.

Information We Collect

When you book a journey or contact us, we may collect:

• Your name, phone number and email address
• Pickup and drop-off addresses, and booking details (date, time, passengers, luggage)
• Payment information — processed securely by our payment provider; we do not store full card details ourselves
• Location data from our passenger app, while it is in use, to match you with a nearby driver
• Business account details, for companies, care homes, schools or NHS organisations with a monthly invoicing account
• Messages sent to us via the contact form, phone, or WhatsApp, including any details you choose to share about a booking

How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Arrange and dispatch your taxi journey
• Communicate with you about a booking, including delays or driver details
• Process payments and issue invoices for business accounts
• Respond to enquiries, complaints, or lost property reports
• Improve our service and understand how our website and app are used
• Send occasional service updates or offers, only where you've agreed to receive them — you can opt out at any time

Who We Share It With

We share the minimum information necessary with:

• Drivers — pickup/drop-off address and booking details needed to complete your journey
• iCabbi, our dispatch and booking platform provider
• Payment processors, to handle card transactions securely
• Kent County Council (KCC) or NHS organisations, where relevant to a school transport or healthcare transport contract

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Children's Data

Where we provide school transport (including KCC post-16 SEND transport) or family bookings involving a child, we collect only the information necessary to arrange safe transport — typically a name, pickup/drop-off address, and school or care setting. This information is provided by a parent, guardian, or authorised organisation, and is used solely for arranging and delivering the transport service.

Data Retention

We keep booking records for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes above, meet accounting and legal requirements, and handle any disputes. Business account records are typically retained for the duration of the account plus a reasonable period afterwards for financial record-keeping.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your information, where we're not required to keep it
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us and we'll respond within one month.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to keep your data safe.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Significant changes will be highlighted where appropriate.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your information, get in touch via our Contact page, by phone on 01227 454 454, or by email at bookings@eastkent-taxis.co.uk.