Drivers are being alerted to a little-known UK law that could see them risk being fined up to £2,500 along with the seizure of their vehicle.
And it’s all by simply by giving their friends and family a lift.
Or more specifically, drivers could be hit with these massive penalties if they are found out to be making a profit from charging people, or accepting money for giving lifts, as the law does not legally permit this.
While it is legal for drivers to accept petrol money or reimbursement of costs for travel, the RAC says drivers face fines and invalidating their insurance if they turn a profit.
Offering a further insight into the law by speaking to the Daily Express, Tim Schwarz – a spokesperson for motoring experts at Moneybarn – warned about the dangers of what is known as ‘taxi touting’.
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He said: “Taxis home from the airport, train station and even nights out are notoriously expensive [and] in this scenario, many of us turn to the kindness of friends and family to give us a lift home.
“But did you know it’s illegal for them to accept payment for this service?”
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Drivers risk risk being fined up to £2,500 and the seizure of their vehicle / Credit: Flickr
He continued: “Cab services are very heavily regulated in the UK, especially since the rise of Uber in the modern age, so accepting money when unlicensed is not okay in the eyes of the law [and] without the right documentation, be prepared for a £2,500 fine, six licence points and even seizure of your vehicle.”
So why is this then? Well, experts at Paul D’Ambrogio Solicitors said the law is there to protect people from the dangers of unlicensed drivers, with the company’s site explaining that: “Taxi touting is an offence that both licensed and unlicensed taxi drivers can fall foul of.
“Touting for trade involves soliciting people in a public place to hire a vehicle to carry them as a passenger.
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“For taxi drivers without a licence, it is an offence to solicit people in public or display the word ‘taxi’ on your vehicle [and] for licensed taxi drivers, it is an offence to transport a passenger who hasn’t booked through a licensed minicab operator.”
They reiterated that: “The regulations regarding booking a taxi in advance have been enforced to help preserve the safety of both passengers and drivers.”
72% of Brits claimed close friends didn’t offer to pay towards car journey costs / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
It turns out however that securing payment from passengers may not being the easiest task anyway, as a recent study by insurance provider Admiral has revealed that 73% of people don’t offer money towards petrol after accepting a journey.
Around 72% claimed that even close friends didn’t offer to pay towards the journey costs.
To top it all off, 63% of British road users say they would found it awkward to ask for money in return for a lift, and 35% said they would turn down the offer of petrol money because they would feel too uncomfortable accepting it after all.
Featured Image – Unsplash
UK News
Manchester councillor Bev Craig has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List
Danny Jones
The leader of Manchester City Council and representative for Burnage, Bev Craig, has officially been awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours List for 2026.
Councillor Craig, who has held her leadership position since October 2021, received the OBE for her services to local government.
She joins several other regional councillors to be named by King Charles III.
First elected by Burnage residents back in 2011, she has spent more than a decade and a half devoting her professional life to the community, as well as nearly a whole five years of that time at the highest level within the Council.
The University of Manchester graduate has played several key roles throughout her career, including giving back to higher education, helping trade unions, as well as serving as an executive member for adult social care and health during the pandemic, before serving as Deputy and eventually Leader.
Speaking in an official statement, Craig said: “To receive an OBE is a huge privilege, and to get awarded it for what I’ve been able to give back to our city is all the more special.
“Manchester is an incredible city, made special by its people and a place I’m proud to call home.
“Leading our city is a privilege I don’t take for granted, so to get awarded an OBE for what we’ve been doing to make Manchester an even better place to live and improve the lives of Manchester people, while creating a city that is fairer and more inclusive for generations to come, is the real honour.”
With the Council having also confirmed two special NYE events on either side of the Town Hall this year, it feels like a fitting celebration.
Congratulations to Bev Craig on the well-deserved accolade and title; we have no doubt she’ll continue to excel in her post.
You can find the King’s 2026 New Year Honours List HERE.
As for the discussion around knighthoods, many Brits are currently calling for a change in the rules in hopes of making OBE, CBE and MBE, Kevin Sinfield a Sir.
Featured Images — Publicity picture (via Manchester City Council)
UK News
Netflix drops the first trailer for upcoming Peaky Blinders film
Danny Jones
It looks like Christmas has come early for TV drama fans and cinephiles, because Netflix has officially dropped the first trailer for the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie.
Popcorn at the ready – even the teaser alone has got us fired up.
ln just 70 seconds, they’ve managed to pull us right back in, and we cannot wait to see Cillian Murphy back in full-on Tommy Shelby mode.
Not exaggerating when we say we have LITERAL chills.
As you can see, they certainly haven’t scrimped on the budget with the first-ever feature-length Peaky Blinders film, neither in terms of production value nor the cast.
Then again, having already hosted the likes of Sam Neill, Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody, Anya Taylor-Joy and others in the series itself, as well as going on to become one of the most successful BBC shows of all time, they were never going to.
We’re sure you spotted plenty of them for yourselves, but the debut trailer for The Immortal Man gives us not only our first glimpses of now Oscar-winning Murphy, 49, back in the saddle (both figuratively and literally) but also fellow blockbuster Irish actor, Barry Keoghan.
Other big names set to appear in the movie – set for a limited release in theatres before launching exclusively on Netflix – include Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth. It still remains unclear, however, as to how any of these characters will knit into the new season.
It’s also worth noting that the trailer shares a little snippet of the historical context, this continuation of the Shelby story is playing into, as we see what looks to be Nazi figures meeting on screen.
Creator Steven Knight has already confirmed that the plot will fast-forward some years to meet back up with Tommy at the outset of WWII and his ancestral home of Birmingham during the Blitz.
Having already confirmed 6 March as the theatrical release date ahead of it going live on Netflix a fortnight later, the anticipation was seriously starting to ramp; this latest look has only added to the tinderbox of excitement.
What do you make of the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man trailer, and will you be watching it?
The Manc -
21st June 2021 
