Booking Terms

Effective date: 29 July 2026  |  Version: 1.2

Please read these terms before requesting or confirming a journey. They explain how Northline accepts bookings, calculates and confirms fares, manages changes and cancellations, and provides the booked private hire service.

1. About Northline Cars

These terms apply to bookings accepted by Northline Cars Ltd, company number 16392857 · ICO registration number: ZC208896, trading as Northline Cars. Northline Cars Ltd is registered in England and Wales.

Registered office: Unit 82a James Carter Road, Bury St. Edmunds, United Kingdom, IP28 7DE.

In these terms, “Northline”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean Northline Cars Ltd trading as Northline Cars. “Customer” means the person who makes the booking, and “passenger” means any person travelling under that booking.

Northline Cars Ltd accepts each confirmed booking as principal and enters into the contractual obligation with the passenger to provide the booked journey. The assigned driver carries out the journey on Northline’s behalf and does not enter into a separate contract with the passenger.

The customer agrees to these terms for themselves and, where applicable, on behalf of the other passengers included in the booking.

2. Pre-booked private hire only

Northline provides pre-booked private hire services only. A Northline vehicle cannot be hailed in the street or hired from a taxi rank.

A driver must not accept a journey directly unless the booking has first been accepted and recorded by a licensed private hire operator. Any request made directly to a driver must be referred to Northline and accepted through the booking system before the journey can begin.

3. How journeys may be requested

Journeys may be requested through:

• the Northline Cars website;
• telephone on 020 4577 0428 using Northline’s cloud-based telephone service; or
• an approved business or contract-account arrangement.

An email, website contact form, text message or other enquiry is not an accepted booking unless Northline has entered the required information into its booking system and confirmed acceptance.

4. Quotes and booking acceptance

Any price supplied before acceptance is based on the information provided by the customer. Submitting a quote or booking request does not itself create a booking.

A booking is accepted only when Northline issues a booking confirmation or an authorised member of Northline staff confirms acceptance.

Northline may decline a request where no suitable licensed driver or vehicle is available, the information supplied is incomplete, payment cannot be authorised, or the journey cannot lawfully or safely be carried out.

5. Booking confirmation and passenger contact

Before the journey begins, Northline will provide the passenger with a booking confirmation by SMS, email or another communication method available to the passenger.

The confirmation will include, as a minimum:

• the vehicle registration mark;
• the driver’s first name;
• the driver’s private hire driver licence number;
• a photograph of the driver where the passenger can receive it; and
• Northline’s passenger contact number.

If the assigned driver or vehicle changes, Northline will provide updated information before the journey begins.

The passenger should not enter a vehicle if the driver or vehicle does not match the confirmation and should contact Northline immediately on 020 4577 0428.

During Northline’s declared operating hours and throughout an active journey, the passenger contact number will connect the passenger to a person who can access the booking record and provide assistance.

6. Information the customer must provide

The customer must provide complete and accurate information, including where relevant:

• pickup and destination addresses;
• journey date and pickup time;
• passenger numbers, including children and babies;
• luggage and vehicle-size requirements;
• a reachable telephone number and email address;
• flight or train details;
• requested stops;
• accessibility, mobility or communication requirements; and
• any child-seat request.

The customer must notify Northline promptly of any relevant change. Northline is not responsible for delay, additional cost or inability to complete the journey caused by materially inaccurate or incomplete information, except where Northline has failed to exercise reasonable care and skill.

7. Fares, fixed prices and estimates

Before accepting a booking, Northline will provide either a confirmed fixed fare or an accurate fare estimate.

A fare may take account of the planned route and road distance, expected journey time, vehicle type and capacity, additional stops, waiting time, airport arrangements, parking, access charges, tolls, road-user charges and any special journey requirements.

A configured or manually agreed fixed price may be used for a particular route. A fixed fare applies to the journey details confirmed at the time of booking and takes priority over a general fare-guide or route-page price.

Prices displayed as “from”, “guide”, “indicative” or “estimated” are general information only and are not fixed fares for a particular booking.

The confirmed fixed fare will not normally change unless the customer requests a material change, the information supplied was materially inaccurate, additional waiting becomes chargeable, or a third-party cost applies whose basis was disclosed before booking.

Any additional charge that can reasonably be calculated before the journey will be disclosed to the passenger before confirmation. Charges arising from a passenger-requested change will be explained and agreed before the change is carried out where reasonably possible. Actual third-party parking, toll or airport charges may be added where they were not included in the confirmed fare, provided the basis of the charge was clearly disclosed before booking.

Northline does not apply automatic surge pricing to an already confirmed booking.

8. Payment

Payment may be made by debit or credit card through Northline’s payment provider, by cash to the assigned driver where cash payment is permitted, or through an approved business or contract account.

A driver collecting cash does so on Northline’s behalf. The customer’s contract remains with Northline.

Payment may be collected when the booking is made, before dispatch, at the end of the journey or through an approved account arrangement. Northline does not store full payment-card details.

Failed, reversed or dishonestly disputed payments remain payable. Northline may take reasonable steps to recover an unpaid amount.

9. Changes requested by the customer

Changes are subject to availability. A change to the pickup time, pickup address, destination, route, passenger count, vehicle type, luggage or additional stops may require a revised fixed fare or accurate estimate.

Northline will explain and seek agreement to any revised fare before carrying out the change where reasonably possible.

Where a requested change cannot safely or operationally be accommodated, the original booking may continue unchanged where practicable, or the cancellation provisions may apply.

10. Cancellation by the customer

The customer may cancel by telephone, through any cancellation facility made available in the booking system, or through an approved account contact.

Unless a different cancellation arrangement is clearly displayed and accepted before the booking is confirmed, the following standard maximum cancellation charges may apply:

The actual cancellation charge will not exceed Northline’s reasonable direct loss resulting from the cancellation. Northline will consider whether a driver or vehicle had already been committed, work already carried out, unavoidable third-party costs, costs saved and whether the driver or booking could reasonably be reassigned.

Northline will not recover the same loss twice. Where the maximum percentage shown above exceeds the reasonable direct loss, the charge will be reduced.

No cancellation charge will apply where the cancellation results from Northline’s material breach or inability to provide the confirmed service.

Where a refund is due, it will normally be returned to the original payment method within 5 to 10 working days after approval. These terms do not remove any statutory rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

11. Waiting time and no-shows

For an ordinary non-airport pickup, the first 5 minutes after the booked pickup time are included unless the booking confirmation states otherwise. Further waiting may be charged at 50 pence per minute.

For an airport collection, 45 minutes of waiting after the published actual flight landing time are included where a valid flight number has been supplied. Further waiting may be charged at 50 pence per minute. Airport parking and access charges may also be payable where they were not included in the confirmed fare.

A booking may be treated as a no-show where the driver is at the confirmed pickup point, reasonable attempts have been made to contact the passenger, and the passenger has not attended within 15 minutes of an ordinary pickup time or within 30 minutes after the included airport waiting period.

The passenger should keep their telephone switched on and provide a number on which they can be reached.

12. Cancellation by Northline

Northline may cancel a booking where no suitable licensed driver or vehicle remains available, the journey cannot safely or lawfully be carried out, the customer has provided materially inaccurate information, payment has failed or there is reasonable evidence of fraud, passenger conduct creates a serious safety risk, or circumstances outside Northline’s reasonable control make performance impossible.

Where Northline cancels and the customer is not at fault, any payment taken for the unperformed journey will be refunded. Northline will notify the customer as soon as reasonably possible and may assist in finding an alternative service, but cannot guarantee that an alternative will be available.

13. Flights, trains, traffic and delays

Where a valid flight number is supplied, Northline may monitor published flight information and adjust dispatch accordingly. Monitoring does not guarantee that every delay, cancellation, diversion or schedule change will be identified. The customer must notify Northline of any material change where reasonably possible.

Traffic, road closures, accidents, weather, security incidents and other events outside reasonable control may affect journey times. Customers should allow sufficient time for flights, trains, appointments and other time-sensitive commitments.

14. Passengers, luggage and vehicle suitability

The number of passengers must not exceed the vehicle’s licensed passenger capacity. Luggage must fit safely without obstructing the driver, passengers, windows or exits.

Where the selected vehicle is unsuitable because passenger or luggage information was incomplete or incorrect, Northline may arrange a larger vehicle at additional cost, delay dispatch while seeking a suitable alternative, or cancel where no safe and lawful alternative is available.

15. Children and child-seat requests

The customer must tell Northline the number and approximate ages of children travelling and must request any child seat before the booking is accepted.

A child seat will be supplied only where this is specifically confirmed. The responsible adult remains responsible for supervising children and deciding whether any supplied restraint is suitable. Nothing in these terms removes any legal obligation applying to Northline, the driver or the passenger.

16. Disabled passengers, mobility aids and assistance dogs

Northline will not refuse a booking or charge a passenger more because the passenger is disabled.

Assistance dogs will be carried without additional charge, except where the assigned driver holds a valid medical exemption. Drivers will provide legally required assistance to disabled passengers without extra charge.

Customers should tell Northline about relevant mobility aids, wheelchair dimensions, communication needs and practical assistance required so that a suitable vehicle can be considered. A wheelchair-accessible vehicle is provided only where Northline has specifically confirmed that one will be supplied.

17. Passenger conduct and safety

Passengers must wear seat belts where required, follow reasonable safety instructions, avoid distracting the driver, not smoke or vape in the vehicle, not carry unlawful or dangerous items, and treat the driver and other passengers respectfully.

Northline or the driver may refuse to begin or may end a journey where a passenger’s conduct is violent, threatening, discriminatory, unlawful or creates a serious safety risk. Any decision will be made consistently with equality and accessibility obligations.

18. Cleaning and damage

The booking customer may be charged the reasonable and evidenced direct cost of specialist cleaning or repairing damage caused by a passenger beyond ordinary wear and tear.

Northline will provide an explanation and supporting evidence for any charge. The customer may dispute the charge through Northline’s complaints procedure.

19. Drivers, vehicles and allocation

Northline will allocate only drivers and vehicles whose relevant TfL licences, insurance and required documents have been checked as current.

A driver or vehicle that is expired, suspended, revoked, uninsured or otherwise unsuitable will not be made available for a booking. The assigned driver and vehicle must match the information provided to the passenger before travel.

20. Subcontracting

Northline does not intend to subcontract bookings as part of its initial operating model.

Where Northline lawfully subcontracts a booking to another licensed private hire operator, Northline Cars Ltd will remain contractually responsible to the passenger for the booking it accepted, unless a different contractual arrangement has been clearly explained and agreed before the booking is accepted.

21. Lost property

Passengers should report lost property as soon as reasonably possible through Northline’s contact or lost-property page. Northline will record the report against the relevant booking and contact the assigned driver.

Any item recovered will be recorded and stored securely while reasonable attempts are made to identify and contact the owner. Northline may require proof of identity or ownership before releasing an item. Valuable, sensitive, unlawful or suspicious property may be passed to the police or another appropriate authority.

Northline is not responsible for property left in a vehicle unless the loss resulted from Northline’s failure to exercise reasonable care.

22. Complaints, safeguarding and serious incidents

Complaints may be submitted by email to complaints@northlinecars.co.uk, by telephone on 020 4577 0428 or through the complaints page on the Northline website.

The customer should provide the booking reference, journey date, route, driver or vehicle information, details of the issue and the outcome requested. Northline will record and investigate the complaint using the available booking and audit records.

Call 999 where anyone is in immediate danger or a crime is in progress. Serious safety, safeguarding or alleged criminal matters may be referred to the police, Transport for London or another appropriate authority where required.

Where the customer remains dissatisfied after Northline’s response, the matter may be raised with Transport for London through its taxi and private hire complaints service.

23. Privacy and confidentiality

Northline processes personal information as explained in its Privacy Notice. Personal information will be collected and used only where necessary to quote, accept, fulfil and support bookings, take payment, maintain legally required records, handle complaints and protect safety.

SEND, safeguarding and health-related information should be supplied only where relevant and through an agreed secure route. Northline does not store full payment-card details.

24. Northline’s responsibility

Northline will provide the booked service with reasonable care and skill. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

Subject to those rights, Northline is not responsible for indirect or unforeseeable loss, missed flights or appointments where the customer did not allow reasonable journey time, or failure caused by circumstances outside reasonable control.

Nothing in these terms affects the customer’s statutory consumer rights.

25. Changes to these terms

Northline may update these terms for future bookings. The version presented or otherwise made available when a booking is confirmed will apply to that booking.

A change to the terms will not retrospectively alter an already confirmed booking unless the customer agrees or the change is required by law and does not materially disadvantage the customer.

26. Law and jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory consumer right to bring proceedings elsewhere.