Terms of Service

Last updated: 31 August 2026

These terms apply to every booking made with Kathgodam Taxi, whether through this website, over WhatsApp, or by phone. Booking a vehicle with us means you accept them.

1. Booking and confirmation

  • A booking is confirmed only once we have acknowledged it and your advance payment has been verified. A submitted form or an enquiry message on its own is not a confirmed booking.
  • You are responsible for the accuracy of the details you give us — pickup point, date, time, passenger count and contact number. We cannot be held responsible for a trip that fails because a detail we were given was wrong.
  • We may decline a booking, for example where no vehicle is available, where the route is not safely drivable, or where the request falls outside the services we offer.

2. Fares and what can change them

The fare we quote covers the vehicle, the driver, and fuel for the route quoted. Unless we state otherwise in writing, the following are not included and are payable in addition, at actuals:

  • Toll charges, state border taxes and entry permits
  • Parking charges
  • Forest permits, entry fees and zone charges where a route requires them
  • Night driving charges where travel takes place late at night or in the early hours
  • Waiting charges beyond the waiting time included in your booking
  • Additional kilometres or additional stops beyond the route quoted
  • Driver accommodation and allowance on multi-day trips, where this was not part of the quote

Fares vary by season. Peak-season and off-season rates differ, and the rate that applies is the one in force for your travel date, not your booking date. A quote is valid for the trip and dates it was given for; if your dates change, the fare may change with them.

3. Payment

  • An advance payment is required to confirm a booking. The balance is payable to the driver at the end of the trip unless we have agreed otherwise.
  • Advance payment is made by UPI to the account shown during booking. You confirm it by uploading a screenshot of the completed transaction.
  • A booking is confirmed only after we have verified that payment. Please allow a short time for this — it is checked by a person, not automatically.
  • We do not collect card details, UPI PINs or bank credentials at any point. Anyone asking you for these in our name is not us.

4. Cancellation and refunds

Complete refund if done 5 days before arrival date. From 5 days to 24 hours before arrival, the advance would be adjusted for any future booking done with us. Less than 24 hours - no refund, but might adjust in future bookings in exceptional cases based on availability.

If we cancel a confirmed booking for a reason within our control, you receive a full refund of the advance. If a trip cannot proceed because of weather, road closure, landslide, strike, government restriction or another event outside anyone's control, we will offer to reschedule or refund the advance; we are not liable for other costs you may have incurred, such as hotel or flight bookings.

5. Vehicles and drivers

  • You book a vehicle category, not a specific vehicle or a specific driver. We may substitute an equivalent or better vehicle where necessary.
  • Where a substitution is to a smaller vehicle and you do not accept it, you may cancel and receive a full refund of your advance.
  • Our drivers are experienced with hill routes. Driving hours are subject to safety limits, and a driver may require rest breaks on long journeys.
  • The driver has final authority on whether a road is safe to drive. If a driver judges a route unsafe, an alternative will be arranged where possible.

6. Passengers and luggage

  • Passenger numbers must not exceed the seating capacity of the vehicle booked. Capacity is stated for adults; children occupying a seat count as passengers.
  • Luggage must fit the vehicle's luggage space. Please tell us in advance if you are carrying an unusual amount — an upgrade may be needed, at additional cost.
  • Smoking and consumption of alcohol in the vehicle are not permitted.
  • Pets are allowed only where agreed in advance.
  • You are responsible for your own belongings. We are not liable for items left in the vehicle, though we will make reasonable efforts to return anything found.
  • Damage to the vehicle caused by a passenger is chargeable.

7. Timings and delays

Journey times in the hills depend on road, traffic and weather conditions, and quoted durations are estimates. We make every effort to arrive on time, but we cannot guarantee arrival times and are not liable for onward connections missed as a result of delays outside our control. If you are travelling to catch a train or flight, please allow a generous margin and tell us when booking.

8. Limitation of liability

Our liability in relation to any booking is limited to the amount you paid us for that booking. We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses — including missed connections, lost accommodation, or lost earnings — arising from delay, cancellation or interruption of a trip. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under Indian law.

9. WhatsApp and other communication

By giving us your number you agree that we may contact you about your booking by phone, SMS, WhatsApp or email. Some WhatsApp replies may be automated; a person is always reachable, and you can reply STOP at any time to stop receiving messages from us. How we handle your messages is set out in our Privacy Policy.

10. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of India. Any dispute is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Nainital, Uttarakhand.

11. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The version in force at the time you book is the version that applies to that booking.

12. Contact us