What can I expect each passenger to pay?

You can expect EACH passenger to pay up to 10p per mile of travel, to cover fuel costs, wear and tear, vehicle depreciation and road tax. For example:

• a 59 mile journey will cost a passenger up to £5.90

You may want to ask for less on long journeys to make them more attractive to potential passengers (write the expected payment in the “cost per passenger” section when you offer a journey).

When should I pay my driver?

Please pay your driver at the beginning of the journey.

How do I calculate mileage?

For mileage and route planning go to www.theaa.com and enter your journey details in the ‘route planner’ section. The mileage stated by www.theaa.com should be taken as the most accurate mileage reading. 

What is the advantage of being a registered driver or passenger with catcharide.co.uk?

As a driver you can expect a passenger to contribute to your vehicle running costs (up to 10p per mile). As a passenger you can find a one-off trip to UK destinations, or a commuting arrangement for your journey to work/university. 

How can I identify my driver?

You will know the last four characters of the registration plate of the vehicle from the website. When you discuss the journey with the driver on the phone, write down the make, model and colour of the car so you can easily identify it.

On the day, the driver must also show you their UK driving licence.

How can I identify my passenger/s?

The passenger will show you a form of photographic identification (a NUS/ISIC student card, driving licence or passport). Check this before the passenger gets in the vehicle.

I have already found passengers for my journey. How do I stop new people from contacting me about the journey?

Login then go to ‘my account’. Find the journey under ‘my journeys’ and edit the number of available seats to zero (0). Now your journey will be shown as ‘car full’ and no further passengers will be able to access your contact details.

How safe is the catcharide.co.uk service?

Although we cannot prevent people giving false information we have certain systems in place to increase security of passengers and drivers:

• All registered passengers and drivers must be 18 years or over
• Drivers and passengers are required to show valid photographic identification to each other before a journey takes place.
• Drivers and passengers must provide us with a landline telephone number of a friend, partner or relative for us to (at our discretion) check the accuracy of data. This number is confidential and will at no time be displayed.
• We reserve the right to strike off members at any time if we find them to have given false information OR if they have behaved in a manner contrary to the terms and conditions of the service.
• At no time are addresses, surnames or ages displayed to the public. Telephone numbers or e-mails are only displayed in the final detailed search, together with first name, gender and smoking/non-smoking details.
• Female passengers can choose to travel with female drivers, and female drivers can choose female passengers if they prefer.
• You are at no time obliged to carry through with a journey if you feel uncomfortable with your driver or passenger.

What are the insurance implications of driving for catcharide.co.uk?

(Quotation taken from the Association of British Insurers website www.abi.org.uk,  2004. The ABI represents around 400 companies, transacting 95% of the business of UK insurance companies.)

“All ABI motor insurers have agreed that if your passengers contribute towards your running costs, your insurance cover will not be affected, as long as lifts are given in a vehicle seating eight passengers or less. This agreement does not apply if you make a profit from payments received or if carrying passengers is your business.”

Please contact your motor insurer if you are unsure as to whether they comply with ABI standards.

Where should I arrange to meet my passenger/driver?

Choose an easy-to-get-to location such as a train station. Aim for a place close to public transport links in case the journey does not go ahead.

For useful maps see upmystreet.com and multimap.com

Are foreign driving licences acceptable?

Unfortunately, as a matter of security, we can only register drivers with a valid UK driving licence. As a passenger, however, you can show your foreign licence/ passport/photographic student card as identification.

What happens if my passenger/driver does not show up?

Please contact your driver or passenger if you can’t keep to the journey arrangements.

Ideally both parties should carry a mobile phone to advise each other in the event of lateness.

catcharide.co.uk is purely an on-line information service and we are sorry that we cannot be held responsible for cancelled / delayed journeys.