Terms and Conditions

Definitions

In these Terms and Conditions, the following definitions apply:

• "Company", "we", "us" or "our" refers to Express Travel Kent, a licensed private hire operator operating in Kent, United Kingdom.
• "Client", "you" or "your" refers to the person making the booking or travelling in the vehicle.
• "Journey" refers to the agreed transfer from the pickup location to the destination specified at the time of booking.
• "Booking" refers to any confirmed reservation of a vehicle and driver made with the Company.
• "Driver" refers to the licensed hackney carriage or private hire driver allocated to your journey.
• "Vehicle" refers to the licensed hackney carriage or private hire vehicle used to carry out your booking.

Booking and confirmation

We carry out pre-booked journeys only. Every journey must be booked in advance through one of our booking channels: the online booking form on this website, by telephone on 01843 247247 or by email to booking@expresstravelkent.co.uk.

A booking is not confirmed until you receive an explicit confirmation from Express Travel Kent.

It is your responsibility to make sure that all journey details you give us when booking are accurate, including the pickup address, destination, date, time, number of passengers and any special requirements. The Company accepts no liability for delays, failed collections or incorrect journeys resulting from inaccurate information provided by the client.

Please tell us about any change to a confirmed booking as early as possible. We will accommodate changes where operationally feasible, but a vehicle may not always be available for the amended journey. The price may be adjusted where journey details change materially.

Your contract is with Express Travel Kent, as the licensed operator. A booking confirmation from Express Travel Kent forms a contract between you and Express Travel Kent under these Terms and Conditions.

Pricing and payment

All fares we quote are fixed at the time of booking confirmation. The quoted fare is the total price for the agreed journey and will not change unless the journey details are materially altered after confirmation (including the route, the number of passengers or additional stops). Car parking fees or toll charges incurred during the journey may be added where applicable, as set out under "Additional charges" below.

There are no metered fares and no surge pricing. The fare confirmed at the time of booking is the fare charged on completion of the journey. Extra charges apply only in the situations listed under "Additional charges" below.

The Company may ask for payment in full before travel for certain journey types, including long-distance travel, special occasion hire, or where a client has previously failed to pay.

Payment methods:

• Cash, paid directly to the driver at the time of travel
• Bank transfer before travel, as arranged with the Company
• Where other payment methods are available, these will be confirmed at the time of booking

Cancellation policy

Please tell Express Travel Kent about a cancellation as early as possible, by telephone or email.

The Company may use its discretion when applying cancellation fees, particularly in a genuine emergency or in exceptional circumstances that you tell us about promptly.

The 14-day cancellation period that applies to many contracts made online or by phone does not apply to passenger transport services. Our cancellation terms are as follows:

• Cancellations made more than 24 hours before the scheduled pickup time: no charge.
• Cancellations made between 6 and 24 hours before the scheduled pickup time: a cancellation fee of up to 50% of the agreed fare may apply.
• Cancellations made less than 6 hours before the scheduled pickup time, or after the vehicle has set off for the collection: the full journey price may be charged.
• No-shows (where the client cannot be reached and does not appear at the agreed collection point within the applicable waiting time): the full journey price will be charged.

Waiting time

Drivers wait at the agreed collection point free of charge for the periods listed below. Waiting beyond the free period is charged at the Company's standard waiting time rate, which we will tell you at the time of booking or on request. After an extended period without contact, the driver may be released and the booking treated as a no-show under the cancellation policy above.

Free waiting periods:

• Standard collections (residential or business address): 10 minutes after the agreed pickup time.
• Airport collections (domestic terminals): 30 minutes after the scheduled (or monitored actual) landing time.
• Airport collections (international terminals): 45 minutes after the scheduled (or monitored actual) landing time.
• Cruise port or ferry terminal collections: 30 minutes after the confirmed arrival time of the vessel.

Airport collections

For all airport collections, Express Travel Kent monitors your inbound flight from departure to landing using live flight data. If your flight is delayed, your collection time is adjusted accordingly. There is no extra charge for delays caused by factors outside your control.

The driver will wait at the agreed meeting point, usually the arrivals hall, with a name sign. It is your responsibility to make contact with the driver when you arrive.

If your flight is diverted to another airport or your plans change significantly, please contact us as soon as possible. We will make every effort to accommodate the new arrangements, though this may change the fare.

Please make sure you give us the correct flight details when you book, so that we can monitor your flight accurately.

Additional charges

We will tell you about any additional charge before it is applied wherever practicable.

The following situations may result in charges on top of the agreed fare:

• Waiting beyond the free period (see "Waiting time" above)
• Additional stops not included in the original booking
• Significant route changes you request during the journey
• Car parking fees or toll charges incurred during your journey, where applicable
• Cleaning fees where the vehicle needs additional cleaning after the journey (see "Vehicle damage" below)

Passenger conduct

All passengers are expected to behave respectfully towards the driver and with consideration for the vehicle. The following standards apply on every journey:

• Seatbelts must be worn by all passengers at all times during travel. Children must be secured in appropriate child restraints where the law requires it.
• Smoking, including e-cigarettes and vapes, is strictly prohibited in all vehicles.
• Alcohol and food may not be consumed in the vehicle without the driver's prior consent.
• Abusive, threatening or offensive behaviour towards the driver will result in the journey being ended immediately. The full journey price will remain payable.
• Passengers must not interfere with or distract the driver during the journey.

Vehicle damage

Passengers are liable for any damage caused to a vehicle during their journey beyond normal wear and tear. This includes, but is not limited to, spillages needing specialist cleaning, soiling of upholstery or carpets, and any physical damage caused by passengers or items carried.

Cleaning or repair costs will be assessed and invoiced to the liable passenger after the journey, with supporting documentation for any costs claimed. Where damage leaves a vehicle unavailable for later bookings, loss of earnings may also be recoverable.

Late arrival

We are committed to punctuality. If a driver is delayed by circumstances outside our control (including serious traffic incidents, accidents or extreme weather), we will contact you at the earliest opportunity to tell you the revised arrival time and discuss options.

Where Express Travel Kent cannot carry out a booking because of exceptional circumstances and no suitable alternative can be arranged, any prepayment will be refunded in full. In such circumstances the Company's liability is limited to refunding the journey price and does not extend to consequential losses.

Force majeure

The Company is not liable for any failure to carry out a booking where the failure results from circumstances beyond our reasonable control. In such situations we will contact affected clients as soon as practicable and explore all reasonable alternatives. Prepayments will be refunded where the service cannot be delivered.

Circumstances beyond our reasonable control include, but are not limited to:

• Severe weather that makes travel unsafe
• Road closures, infrastructure failure or major incidents preventing access to the route
• Acts of terrorism, civil disorder or emergency government restrictions on travel
• Pandemic-related travel restrictions or legal prohibitions
• Mechanical failure with no reasonable time to arrange a replacement vehicle

Liability

The Company carries appropriate hire and reward insurance as required by UK law. Our liability to passengers is subject to the terms of that insurance and to applicable legislation, including the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Otherwise, the Company's liability for loss or damage is limited to direct losses arising from our demonstrable negligence. We do not accept liability for:

• Consequential or indirect losses, including missed flights, missed events or business losses
• Loss of or damage to items left in the vehicle (personal property is carried at the owner's risk)
• Delays caused by factors outside our reasonable control
• Third-party losses arising from the passenger's actions during the journey

Complaints

If you are unhappy with any part of our service, please raise it with us directly so that we can deal with it promptly.

Please send complaints in writing, by email to booking@expresstravelkent.co.uk, within 14 days of the journey and with as much detail as possible. We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 business days and aim to give a full response within 14 days.

If a complaint cannot be resolved to your satisfaction with us directly, you may also raise it with the licensing authority of the council that licenses us as a private hire operator.

Refusal of service

Express Travel Kent and its drivers may refuse or end a journey in the circumstances listed below. Where service is refused on legitimate grounds, the full journey price may remain payable, and the Company will record the incident.

These circumstances are:

• A passenger is behaving in an abusive, threatening or violent way
• A passenger is visibly intoxicated to a degree that puts themselves, the driver or the vehicle at risk
• The condition of the passengers or their items presents an unacceptable risk of soiling or damage to the vehicle
• The requested journey or destination is unlawful
• There are reasonable grounds to believe the driver's safety is at risk

Changes to these terms and governing law

We may amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. Any changes will be published on this page with an updated revision date. Bookings confirmed before a change remain subject to the terms in force when they were confirmed.

These Terms and Conditions are governed by English law. Any dispute arising from or in connection with them is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.