Ferry Car Sharing

[Slugsie]

http://www.franceconnections.co.uk, this is a good tip for anybody like me who needs to cross the channel often. If you can find the right match and either get a lift from someone who is going your way or else take your own transport and carry a couple of passengers, it really makes a difference to the costs.

[Eslier]

Is anyone able to clarify the legal implications of doing this ?

If I take someone in my car, and they pay me money to do so (as a contribution to the cost), would that be deemed as "hire or reward" as far as my insurance company is concerned ? If so then my insrance would prsumably be invalid whilst the passenger was travelling in the car.

Also, as a resident of France, I am concerned that the minute I take money off someone for such a service that this could be seen as working "on the black". If this is the case then both the driver and the passenger would technically be breaking the law and subject to huge fines.

It would be useful to clear up these issues for everyone - does anyone have the answer ?

[alnmike]

With UK car insurance, you can receive money for a passenger, so long as it is for 'costs' and not to make a profit. This is how the car sharing scemes favoured by local authorities work. I do not know about French Car insurance.

[Porth]

[quote]With UK car insurance, you can receive money for a passenger, so long as it is for 'costs' and not to make a profit. This is how the car sharing scemes favoured by local authorities work. I do not kno...[/quote]

Yes as long as it is a contribution to costs in the UK its ok but not for profit.  For profit changes one's insurance.

 

What happens in France is another thing.

Going now off the track I was at Cherbourg on Friday meeting my wife on the fast craft.  There were about 50 or so people travelling as foot passengers and obviously they were being met by people who had travelled from various places throughout the Cotentin. I believe that more and more people with relationships with France be it property or whatever are now travelling as foot passengers thus trying to limit the costs.

Coaches run from airports to various locations ie Heathrow to Reading then to Oxford and then say to South Wales.  Would this not be applicable to ferry crossings?

 

Probably a stupid idea.

 

regards