Privacy Policy

Effective Date

13/06/2025

Business Name

M.L.K. Padget trading as Abbey Cars.

This Privacy Policy explains how Abbey Cars (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your personal data when you use our website, online booking form, or book via other methods of communication (phone, email, etc.), or use our private-hire taxi services, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

Abbey Cars is a private-hire taxi operator licensed by the Vale of White Horse District Council in the United Kingdom, offering transportation services to individuals and businesses.

The address of our headquarters and booking office in Oxfordshire is withheld, as it forms part of a residential address. If you need to contact us by post with questions or concerns about your personal data, you can write to us at our business service address: Abbey Cars, Unit 148040, PO Box 7169, Poole, Dorset BH15 9EL. Data Controller: M.L.K. Padget (Owner). Contact Email: info@abbeycars.uk. Phone: 01235 428895.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

  • Identification Information: Name, contact details (email address, phone number), and home/work address.
  • Booking Details: Pick-up and drop-off locations, journey dates and times, and payment method.
  • Payment Information: Although we do not store full card details, our secure third-party payment processors (Stripe and Square) may collect card information.
  • Location Data: Real-time GPS location during bookings.
  • Communications: Records of any communications with us (emails, phone calls and voicemail messages, text messages, WhatsApp voice notes and chat messages, direct messages via Facebook and Instagram, etc.).
  • Interior Vehicle Video and Audio: For safety and security, our vehicles are equipped with in-car video and audio recording (clearly signposted).

3. Legal Bases for Processing

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:

  • Contractual Necessity: To provide and manage your private-hire taxi booking and transport.
  • Legitimate Interests: For business analysis, safety, fraud prevention, and service improvement.
  • Legal Obligation: To comply with relevant laws and regulations (e.g. licensing authority requirements).
  • Consent: Where required, such as for marketing purposes or optional tracking services.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use your data to:

  • Fulfil your taxi booking and journey.
  • Provide customer support.
  • Contact you regarding your booking.
  • Process payments.
  • Comply with regulatory and legal requirements.
  • Ensure safety and monitor driver conduct (e.g. via GPS or CCTV).
  • Enable real-time journey tracking through location sharing tools, such as WhatsApp (see section 5 below).
  • Improve our services.

5. Location Sharing via WhatsApp

In some cases, your driver may use WhatsApp Location Sharing to provide you with real-time updates on their location before pick-up. This allows you to:

  • See where your driver is on their way to your location.
  • Estimate arrival time more accurately.
  • Identify the vehicle and driver with greater confidence.

How It Works:

  • The driver may send you a temporary location sharing link via WhatsApp.
  • The link uses WhatsApp’s built-in location sharing feature, which is end-to-end encrypted.
  • Location data shared is temporary and only active prior to the pick-up time.

Your Privacy:

  • No additional personal data is collected or stored by us through this feature.
  • Drivers are instructed to only use this feature when necessary and to share links responsibly.
  • You may decline to receive location updates via WhatsApp if you prefer not to use the platform.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your data. We may share personal data with:

  • Licensed drivers or subcontractors for your journey.
  • Payment processors (e.g. Stripe, Square).
  • Regulatory authorities (e.g. local councils, police) when legally required.
  • IT service providers and booking platforms (under strict confidentiality and data protection terms).
  • Insurers, in the event of a claim or incident.

7. Data Storage and Retention

  • Personal data is stored securely on encrypted systems located in the UK or EEA.
  • Journey data and contact details are typically retained for up to 6 years for legal, tax, and insurance reasons.
  • CCTV/audio data (if used) is retained for up to 90 days unless required for investigation.
  • Where consent has been provided for marketing, your data is retained until you withdraw consent.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

  • Access – to know what data we hold about you.
  • Rectification – to correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Erasure – to request deletion of your data (subject to legal requirements).
  • Restriction – to limit how we process your data.
  • Data Portability – to receive your data in a usable format.
  • Objection – to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
  • Withdraw Consent – at any time, where processing is based on consent.

To exercise your rights, please contact us at: info@abbeycars.uk

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised access, or disclosure.

10. Third-Party Services

Where we use third-party services (e.g. booking apps, payment gateways), their own privacy policies apply. We ensure these providers comply with data protection requirements.

11. Cookies and Tracking

We do not use cookies or similar technologies on our website.

12. Complaints

If you are not satisfied with how we handle your data, you can contact: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Tel: 0303 123 1113.
Website: ico.org.uk

13. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated via our website or direct notice. Please check this page regularly for updates.

Contact Us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us by email: info@abbeycars.uk or phone: 01235 428895.