# Live taxi tracking links for passengers: fewer where-is-my-car calls

> A taxi tracking link for passengers is a web address, sent by text or email, that shows the car on a map from when the driver sets off until the pickup. It should show the car's make, colour and registration and the driver's first name, then stop. Location data counts as personal data under Article 4 of the UK GDPR, so track the driver only during the job and keep the trail no longer than you need.

By Joe, founder of Dispatch AI. Updated 2026-10-19. The web page: https://dispatchai.co.uk/guides/live-tracking-links-for-passengers/

The call every office knows: "I booked for half six, where's my car?" A controller stops what they're doing, looks up the job, rings the driver and rings the passenger back. A live tracking link answers that question on the passenger's own phone. This guide explains how tracking links work, what they should and shouldn't show, when to switch them off, and what data protection law expects when you share a driver's position.


## How does a taxi tracking link work?

A taxi tracking link is a one-off web page for a single booking. The position comes from the driver's phone, and the passenger opens the page in their browser without downloading anything.

1. The driver starts the job on their driver app, which shares the phone's location while the job is live.
2. Your booking system creates a link that belongs to that booking alone. Its address should be long and random, so nobody can guess it.
3. The link goes to the passenger by text or email, usually in the "driver on the way" message.
4. The page shows the car moving on a map, the time it's expected, and the car and driver details.
5. When the driver arrives, or when the job ends, the page stops showing a position and says the journey is complete.

The link is only as good as the location behind it. If the driver's phone loses signal, the page should say when the position was last updated rather than show a car frozen two streets away.


## What should a tracking link show passengers?

The tracking page should show what the passenger needs to find the right car and nothing that puts the driver at risk. Transport for London's safety advice gives a good starting list. It tells London passengers that their booking confirmation must contain the number plate, the driver's first name, the driver's private hire licence number and, where the passenger can receive one, a photo of the driver.

| Show | Hold back |
|---|---|
| The car's make, model and colour | The driver's surname and home area |
| The number plate | The driver's own mobile number: route calls through the office |
| The driver's first name, licence number and a photo | Where the driver was before this job |
| The car's position and the expected arrival time | The car's position after the job ends |
| The pickup point, such as "Arrivals, Door 3" | The passenger's full address, if a pin on the map will do |
| Your booking reference and office phone number | Other jobs, other passengers, or the driver's earnings |

TfL also tells passengers that if the driver or the car isn't the same as in the booking confirmation, they shouldn't get in. So if you swap the car or the driver, the link has to update straight away, and the passenger should get a fresh message saying so. You hold these details already: the Department for Transport's Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards expect operators to record the driver's name and licence number and the vehicle registration for every booking, and suggest keeping those records for at least 6 months.


## When should the tracking link start and stop?

Start the live tracking link when the driver sets off for that pickup, and stop it at the pickup, or at the drop-off if you let passengers share the journey with family. Outside those times there's nothing for the passenger to see and no reason for you to show it.

Expire the link once the job's done. Anyone who has the link can open it, whether that's the passenger, a relative they forwarded it to, or whoever finds the text on a shared phone. A link that still shows the driver's position an hour later is showing a working person's movements to strangers.

Link expiry also stops a tracking page from turning into a record of where drivers go between jobs. The ICO's guidance on monitoring workers uses the example of a tracking system the driver can switch off so it doesn't monitor them when they aren't working, and says that where workers may use a vehicle privately, you'll rarely be able to justify monitoring during that private use.


## Is driver location data covered by data protection law?

Yes. Article 4 of the UK GDPR defines personal data as information about an identifiable person and names location data as one of the identifiers. A driver's position on a map, linked to a booking with their name on it, is personal data.

Two of the principles in Article 5 matter most here. Data minimisation says personal data must be adequate, relevant and limited to what's necessary for the purpose. Storage limitation says you keep it in a form that identifies people for no longer than necessary. For tracking, that means three things:

- Share the position only while there's a job to track.
- Show the passenger only what they need to find the car.
- Decide how long you keep the location trail, and delete it on schedule.

Tell people it's happening. The ICO says you must inform workers and passengers of any vehicle monitoring. Put it in the driver agreement and in the privacy notice on your website and booking confirmations. If your drivers are self-employed and use their own cars, the same principles apply even where the employment guidance doesn't fit their contract exactly: track the job, not the person. The ICO notes that its monitoring guidance is under review after the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, so check it again before you change how you track.


## Do tracking links help disabled passengers find the car?

Partly. A map helps a passenger who can see it. A passenger who is blind or partially sighted needs something else, and the law puts a duty on the driver.

Section 165A of the Equality Act 2010, in force since 28 June 2022, says that where a private hire vehicle or pre-booked taxi is hired by or for a disabled person, and the driver was told in advance that the passenger needs help, the driver must take reasonable steps to help the passenger identify and find the vehicle, at no extra charge. A tracking link doesn't take that duty away from the driver.

What the link can do is carry the details in words as well as on a map. "Silver Toyota Prius, registration on the booking, waiting at the main entrance" can be read aloud by a screen reader. A dot on a map can't. Make sure the page works with a screen reader and with large text, and pass any assistance notes from the booking straight to the driver.


## Will a tracking link cut "where's my car?" calls?

A tracking link should cut the calls that only ask where the car is, because the passenger can see for themselves. It won't stop the calls that are really about something else: a late car, a wrong address or a passenger who can't find the pickup point.

Count before you judge it. For 2 weeks before you switch tracking on, have the office tally the calls that ask where a car is. Do the same for 2 weeks after. That's your own number, from your own office, and it tells you more than any supplier's claim.

Three things decide whether the link earns its keep. The position has to be accurate. The expected arrival time has to be honest, because a car that's "2 minutes away" for ten minutes makes the next call angrier. And the passenger has to get the link at the right moment, which means building it into your [booking confirmations by text and email](https://dispatchai.co.uk/guides/taxi-booking-confirmation-text-and-email/). Our guide to the [driver app for taxi firms](https://dispatchai.co.uk/guides/driver-app-for-taxi-firms/) covers the other end of the link, and [customer service for taxi firms](https://dispatchai.co.uk/guides/customer-service-for-taxi-firms/) covers the calls a link can't answer.

Dispatch AI is booking and dispatch software for taxi and private hire firms. The passenger gets a text and an email to confirm, and a live link to track the car.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can passengers share the tracking link with family?

Yes, and for a young person or a late-night journey that's a good use of it. Anyone with the link can open it, so keep the details on the page to what's needed and make sure the link stops working once the journey ends.

### What should the passenger do if a different car turns up?

Not get in. TfL's advice to London passengers is that if the driver or the car isn't the same as in the booking confirmation, they shouldn't get in. If you change the car or driver, send the new details and update the link before the car arrives, and have the passenger ring the office if anything doesn't match.

### Do we need the driver's permission to share their location?

You need to tell drivers clearly what you share, when and why. The ICO says you must inform workers and passengers of any vehicle monitoring. Put the rules in writing, share the position only during a job, and don't track the driver in their own time.

### How long should we keep tracking data?

No longer than you need it. Article 5 of the UK GDPR says personal data shouldn't be kept longer than necessary for its purpose. Keep the booking record for at least six months, as the statutory standards suggest, but set a shorter period for the detailed location trail unless a complaint or an incident needs it kept.

### Is a tracking link part of safeguarding?

It helps. A passenger who can check the car, the registration and the driver before getting in is safer, and so is a parent following a young person's journey. Our guide to [safeguarding for taxi firms](https://dispatchai.co.uk/guides/safeguarding-for-taxi-firms/) covers the wider duties operators carry.


## Sources

- [Safer travel at night (Transport for London)](https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/safety/safer-travel-at-night) what London booking confirmations must contain, and not getting in if the details don't match
- [Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards (Department for Transport)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statutory-taxi-and-private-hire-vehicle-standards/statutory-taxi-and-private-hire-vehicle-standards) section 8, booking records including driver licence number and vehicle registration
- [UK GDPR, Article 4](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/article/4) definition of personal data, including location data
- [UK GDPR, Article 5](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2016/679/article/5) data minimisation and storage limitation
- [Monitoring workers: specific considerations for different ways of monitoring (ICO)](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/employment/monitoring-workers/specific-data-protection-considerations-for-different-ways-or-methods-of-monitoring-workers/) vehicle tracking, private use, telling workers and passengers
- [Equality Act 2010, section 165A](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/165A) drivers' duty to help disabled passengers identify and find the vehicle; in force 28 June 2022

Dispatch AI is a trading name of CABO TECH SOLUTION AI LTD, registered in England and Wales, company no. 16255667.