Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Refund & Cancellation Policy
Last updated: April 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Universal Cabs ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal data when you use any of our services, including:
Together, these are referred to as the "Services".
We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
The data controller responsible for your personal data is:
Universal Cabs
39 Turret Lane, Ipswich, IP4 1DT
Email: universalcabs21@gmail.com
Phone: 01473 222 333
We collect and process the following categories of personal data depending on your role and interaction with our Services:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Identity | Full name, date of birth, photograph |
| Contact | Phone number, email address, home address |
| Employment | Driver licence number & expiry, DBS certificate details, NI number, contract/shift information, hire date |
| Vehicle | Vehicle registration, make, model, MOT date, insurance details, taxi licence number, walk-around check photos |
| Operational | Job assignments, school run routes, shift schedules, job completion status |
| Financial | Pay rates, earnings records, payroll data, job fares |
| Technical | Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) tokens, device type, browser type, login timestamps |
| Communications | In-app broadcast messages between office and drivers |
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Identity | Name |
| Contact | Phone number |
| Booking | Pickup and drop-off addresses, date and time of journey, fare amount, payment method (cash/card/account) |
| Journey notes | Special instructions (e.g., wheelchair access, flight number for airport pickups) |
For passengers transported under local authority or school contracts, we receive limited data (passenger names, pickup/drop-off locations, and any special requirements) directly from the contracting council or school. This data is provided solely for the purpose of delivering safe and reliable transport services. We do not use this data for marketing, advertising, or any purpose beyond fulfilling the transport contract.
| Lawful Basis | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Contract Art. 6(1)(b) |
Performing our contract with you — assigning jobs, managing shifts, processing payroll, providing the driver portal, and fulfilling taxi bookings for customers. |
| Legal Obligation Art. 6(1)(c) |
Complying with legal requirements — driver licence records, DBS checks for safeguarding, HMRC tax obligations, vehicle compliance, and licensing conditions. |
| Legitimate Interests Art. 6(1)(f) |
Our legitimate business interests — operational efficiency, vehicle safety checks, internal communications, service quality, and system security. |
| Consent Art. 6(1)(a) |
Where we rely on consent — sending push notifications to drivers. You can withdraw consent at any time via your device settings. |
Our driver apps use Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) to deliver push notifications about new job assignments, schedule changes, and important messages from the office.
When you grant notification permission, we store an FCM token (a unique device identifier) in our database. This token is used solely to deliver notifications and is not shared beyond Google's Firebase infrastructure.
You can withdraw consent at any time by disabling notifications in your device settings or contacting us. Invalid tokens are automatically removed.
Customers do not receive push notifications. Customer communications are via phone, SMS, or WhatsApp only.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We only share data in the following circumstances:
| Third Party | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Google / Firebase | Cloud hosting (Firestore), authentication, push notifications (FCM), cloud functions. Google acts as a data processor under their Data Processing Terms. |
| Schools & Local Authorities | Limited driver information (name, vehicle details) as required for school transport contracts and safeguarding. |
| HMRC / Regulatory Bodies | Payroll and tax data as required by UK law. |
| Law Enforcement | Only when required by law, court order, or to protect public safety. |
Our Services are hosted on Google Firebase, which may process data in data centres outside the UK (including the US and EEA). Where data is transferred internationally, appropriate safeguards are in place including Google's Data Processing Addendum, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the ICO, and Google Cloud's ISO 27001, SOC 2 and SOC 3 certifications.
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Active driver/PA profiles | Duration of engagement + 12 months |
| Job records & school run logs | 6 years (tax & regulatory compliance) |
| Payroll & financial records | 6 years (HMRC requirement) |
| Customer booking records | 6 years (tax & dispute resolution) |
| Vehicle check records & photos | 12 months |
| Document compliance (licences, DBS, MOT) | Duration of engagement + 3 years |
| In-app messages | 12 months |
| FCM tokens | Auto-removed when invalid; deleted on request or departure |
After retention periods expire, data is securely deleted or anonymised.
No system is 100% secure. If you suspect unauthorised access, contact us immediately.
You have the following rights:
To exercise any right, email universalcabs21@gmail.com. We will respond within one calendar month.
If unsatisfied, you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Website: ico.org.uk · Helpline: 0303 123 1113
| Technology | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Firebase Auth Tokens | Keep you logged in | Session / until logout |
| localStorage | Cache driver profile for faster loading | Persistent until cleared |
| Service Worker Cache | Offline functionality for PWA | Updated each visit |
| FCM Token (IndexedDB) | Push notification device token | Persistent until cleared |
We do not use third-party tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics cookies. We do not track you across other websites.
Our apps are for adult drivers, PAs, and administrators. We do not collect data directly from children.
For school transport, we process limited child passenger data (names, pickup/drop-off points) as provided by schools or local authorities, solely for safe transport delivery and in accordance with safeguarding requirements.
If you believe a child has provided us data directly without consent, contact us immediately.
We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last updated" date and may notify users via in-app messaging. Please review this page periodically.
Last updated: April 2026
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of taxi and private hire services provided by Universal Cabs, 39 Turret Lane, Ipswich, IP4 1DT. By booking a journey with us, you agree to these Terms.
Universal Cabs provides private hire taxi services in Ipswich and surrounding areas, including school transport under contract with local authorities.
Operating Hours: Monday–Friday 6:00am–10:00pm, Saturday–Sunday 8:00am–2:00pm.
We accept bookings outside these hours where possible. If you place a booking outside operating hours, we will do our best to arrange a driver for you. Bookings made outside operating hours are subject to availability and may take longer to confirm.
Bookings can be made by phone (01473 222 333), email (universalcabs21@gmail.com), or WhatsApp. A booking is confirmed once we assign a driver and notify you.
Please provide accurate pickup and drop-off addresses, journey date and time, number of passengers, and any special requirements (wheelchair access, child seats, luggage, flight numbers for airport pickups).
We reserve the right to decline or cancel a booking if we cannot safely fulfil it, or if the customer behaves inappropriately.
Fares are quoted at the time of booking or calculated by the meter. Accepted payment methods include cash, card, and account (for approved account customers).
Quoted fares are based on the route and journey details provided. If the actual journey differs significantly (e.g., additional stops, route changes at customer's request), the fare may be adjusted accordingly.
Account customers will be invoiced in accordance with their agreed payment terms.
We reserve the right to refuse service or terminate a journey if a passenger's behaviour endangers the driver, other passengers, or the vehicle.
Our drivers will wait up to 6 minutes at the pickup location. After 6 minutes, the journey may be recorded as a no-show and the full fare may be charged.
For airport pickups, we monitor your flight and provide 1 hour of free waiting time from the actual landing time. After 1 hour, a waiting charge of £20 per hour applies. Airport parking charges may also apply and will be added to your fare.
We will make every reasonable effort to get you to your destination on time and safely. However, we cannot be held liable for delays caused by traffic, road closures, adverse weather, accidents, or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
If our driver is significantly late due to our error, please contact us and we will work with you to resolve the matter fairly.
Our liability is limited to the cost of the fare for the affected journey. We are not liable for consequential losses (e.g., missed flights, missed appointments) unless caused by our gross negligence.
We take all complaints seriously. To raise a complaint:
Please include your booking details, date of journey, and a description of the issue. We aim to respond within 5 working days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact your local council's licensing department.
We may update these Terms from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
Last updated: April 2026
This policy explains when and how refunds or charges apply to bookings with Universal Cabs. By making a booking, you agree to these terms.
If you cancel your booking more than 24 hours before the scheduled pickup time, you will receive a full refund with no cancellation charge.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the scheduled pickup but before a driver has been dispatched, a 50% cancellation charge applies. You will be refunded the remaining 50%.
Once a driver has been dispatched to your pickup location, no refund is available. The full fare is payable. Our driver has already committed their time and fuel to your journey.
Our driver will wait at your pickup location for 6 minutes from the agreed pickup time. The driver will attempt to call you during this time.
If you do not appear within 6 minutes and we cannot reach you, the journey will be recorded as a no-show and the full fare will be charged.
We track your flight and will be at the airport ready for your arrival. You get 1 hour of free waiting time from when your flight actually lands — so if your flight is delayed, we adjust automatically.
After 1 hour, a waiting charge of £20 per hour applies (charged in 15-minute increments at £5 per 15 minutes).
Airport parking charges may also apply depending on the airport and terminal. These will be added to your fare at cost.
If your flight is cancelled entirely, please let us know as soon as possible. If you notify us before we travel to the airport, no charge applies. If our driver is already at the airport, the fare to the airport will be charged.
If you request the driver to wait during your journey (e.g., stopping at a shop, waiting at an appointment), a waiting charge of £20 per hour applies after the first 5 minutes of waiting.
This charge is in addition to the journey fare.
We pride ourselves on punctuality and reliability. If our driver is late to your pickup:
Delays caused by traffic, road closures, accidents, or weather are outside our control and do not qualify for compensation.
To request a refund or dispute a charge, contact us with your booking details:
Email: universalcabs21@gmail.com
Phone: 01473 222 333
Refunds will be processed within 7 working days of approval, using the original payment method where possible.
| Scenario | Charge | Refund |
|---|---|---|
| Cancel 24+ hours before | None | Full refund |
| Cancel under 24 hours | 50% of fare | 50% refund |
| Cancel after driver dispatched | Full fare | No refund |
| No-show (6 minutes) | Full fare | No refund |
| Airport — first hour | Free | N/A |
| Airport — after 1 hour | £20/hour | N/A |
| Airport parking | At cost | N/A |
| General waiting | £20/hour (after 5 min) | N/A |
| Flight cancelled — notified early | None | Full refund |
| Flight cancelled — driver at airport | Fare to airport | Partial |