Safe Transport for Teenagers: Staying Safe in Taxis, Rideshare Apps, and on Public Transport

Independent Travel: Freedom and Responsibility Together

At some point in the teenage years, most young people start getting around without their parents. Public transport, taxis, and rideshare apps like Uber and Bolt open up a degree of independence that is genuinely exciting. You can get to friends, to events, to the places that matter to you, on your own schedule.

That independence is worth having. And like any freedom, it comes with a set of practical skills worth developing. The young people who travel most safely are not the ones who never go anywhere; they are the ones who know what to look out for, what to do if something goes wrong, and how to make decisions in the moment that keep them on the right side of risk.

This guide covers the specific situations you are most likely to encounter: booking and using taxis and rideshare apps, travelling on buses and trains, and handling the moments that feel uncertain.

Rideshare Apps: The Basics of Staying Safe

Rideshare apps like Uber, Bolt, and Free Now are convenient and generally safe, but they carry specific risks that are worth understanding. The most important safety practice is verification: always confirm that the car, the licence plate, and the driver's name all match what the app shows you before you get in. The scam of an unofficial driver positioning themselves near an Uber pickup point and offering to take passengers is documented and real. If the details do not match, do not get in.

Sit in the back seat. This is standard safety practice and gives you more options if you need to exit quickly. Do not get into a rideshare vehicle where someone other than the driver is already in the car unless you were expecting them. If at any point during the journey you feel uncomfortable, you can ask the driver to stop in a populated area and exit. You do not need to justify this.

Share your trip details with someone before you travel. Both Uber and Bolt have built-in features that allow you to share your real-time location and journey details with a trusted contact directly from the app. Use these. They take ten seconds and mean that someone always knows where you are and where you are going.

Use the app's payment system rather than paying cash, and do not tell drivers your home address or personal details beyond what the app has already shared. If a driver behaves in a way that makes you uncomfortable, rate and report them through the app immediately after your journey. These reports are taken seriously and contribute to driver vetting.

Traditional Taxis: Licensed vs Unlicensed

In the UK, licensed taxis (black cabs in London, Hackney carriages elsewhere) and licensed private hire vehicles are regulated by local authorities and subject to background checks and vehicle inspections. Unlicensed minicabs are not, and taking an unlicensed minicab is one of the higher-risk transport choices a young person can make.

Never accept a lift from a driver who approaches you in the street, outside a venue, or at a transport hub claiming to be a taxi. Always book through a licensed company or official app, where the booking creates a traceable record. If you are at a club or venue at night, ask staff whether there is an approved taxi company they recommend, or book a rideshare from inside the venue before you go outside.

When booking a licensed taxi by phone, note the company name, vehicle description, and licence number if given. When the car arrives, verify these details before getting in. As with rideshare, sit in the back seat, keep your phone with you and charged, and share your journey details with a trusted contact.

Public Transport: Buses and Trains

Buses and trains are used by millions of people every day and are generally safe. Most problems on public transport involve opportunistic theft rather than anything more serious. Keep your phone and valuables in a bag that closes securely rather than in your hand or a back pocket. Be particularly careful in crowded areas and when getting on and off vehicles, when pickpockets are most active.

If you are travelling alone, particularly in the evening or at night, position yourself in a carriage or area of the bus with other passengers. On trains, sitting near the guard's carriage or in a busier carriage is a sensible choice. Most modern trains and many buses have CCTV, and knowing this is often reassuring.

If someone on public transport is making you uncomfortable, harassing you, or behaving aggressively, move away if it is safe to do so. Alert the driver (on a bus) or the train guard if you can. Most major train operators have a text line for reporting concerns without making a phone call. Transport for London's line is 61016; other operators have similar services, and these are worth saving in your phone if you travel regularly by train.

Know your route before you travel. Arriving at an unfamiliar stop in an unfamiliar area, needing to stare at your phone to figure out where you are, is a moment of heightened vulnerability. Download offline maps or take a screenshot of your route so you can navigate without looking lost.

Travelling at Night

Night travel carries additional considerations. Lighting, fewer people around, and the presence of alcohol all change the risk profile of getting home. Plan your return journey before you go out, not when you are at the end of the night and tired or possibly intoxicated. Know which service you are taking, what time the last one runs, and what you will do if you miss it.

Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be home, and stick to that commitment or update them if plans change. A quick text to say "getting Uber now, home in 20 mins" is the kind of information that allows people to help you quickly if something goes wrong.

Travelling home with others is safer than travelling alone at night. This is not always possible, but when it is, it is worth arranging in advance rather than assuming it will work out. If you find yourself needing to get home unexpectedly, contact a trusted adult for help rather than accepting transport from someone you do not know.

What to Do If Something Goes Wrong

If you feel unsafe in a vehicle, either with a driver or with another passenger, you have options. If the vehicle is moving and you feel in immediate danger, call 999. Give the operator your location (using Google Maps or Apple Maps to read out your current position is quicker than describing it). Do not get out of a moving vehicle.

If the vehicle has stopped, or you are near a stop, exit and go to a populated, lit area. Alert staff at the nearest building, enter a shop or venue, or approach other people and ask for help. Specific appeals for help ("Can you call me a taxi?" or "Can I wait in here?") are more likely to get a response than vague expressions of distress.

Report any incident involving a rideshare or taxi driver through the app and to Transport for London or your local licensing authority. Your report may protect other people from the same experience. If you have experienced a crime, report it to the police. You do not have to manage the consequences of someone else's behaviour alone.