Warning issued over bogus taxis during Christmas
Holly Phillips - East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Wed, December 10, 2025 at 7:03 AM UTC
2 min read
People are being urged to be aware of bogus taxis during the festive period.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council encouraged people to plan ahead and only use legally licensed taxis.
The authority said taxi marshals would be in Beverley on 18 and 19 December from 20:00 to 03:00 GMT and on New Year's Eve from 22:00 to 03:00, to help people get home safely.
Councillor Lyn Healing said: "At this time of year, we often see a rise in unlicensed taxi activity, so it's crucial to take extra steps to stay safe."
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During the festive period, the council said its licensing team sees an increase in reports of bogus vehicles claiming to be lawful taxi services.
These unlicensed drivers or vehicles have not been vetted or checked and are often illegally offered through social media, the authority said.
East Riding licensed vehicles have white oval door stickers and an illuminated sign on top which reads "Taxi". All licensed drivers will have an identity badge issued by the council.
The region's licensed vehicles are all fitted with internal CCTV, with audio recording which can be activated by passengers or the driver, as well as a dashcam.
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The council said residents who have not pre-booked their journey home should only use East Riding's Hackney Carriage cabs for immediate hire.
Vehicles from outside the area cannot lawfully pick up customers for immediate hire. Doing this may invalidate their insurance, the authority added.
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