Commuters and shoppers can hop on board at the taxi rank on High Street, or simply flag down one of Skipton Building Society’s full‑blue branded cabs as they pass through the city.
Running between 9am and 5pm, the free journeys will give travellers a lift of up to five miles without spending a penny.
The building society will be footing the bill, helping passengers pocket the cost of their fare and put a little extra towards their savings instead.
The giveaway forms part of the building society’s ‘Up To The ISA Challenge’ campaign, which aims to get the nation talking more openly about money – and encourage people to make the most of their tax‑free savings.
Alex Sitaras head of savings at Skipton Building Society said: “We wanted to kick‑start the new financial year in a way that genuinely helps people and sparks conversations about saving.
“ISAs are one of the simplest and tax effective ways to build savings, yet many people aren’t fully aware of the benefits.
“With changes on the horizon and a new tax year getting underway, it’s more important than ever that people understand how to maximise their allowances.
“By covering the cost of their commute, we’re hoping to give people a small but meaningful boost, and maybe even inspire them to put what they’ve saved towards building their own savings, as a reminder that even modest amounts can make a real difference when set aside regularly.”
“We hope this campaign gives people a nudge to think about their money and make the most of the next 12 months.”
The giveaway follows research among Mancunians which found the best financial advice they have ever received is to always have an emergency fund.
However, some of the worst advice includes being told to ‘just put it on the credit card’ or to ‘enjoy the money now’.
One in three (32 per cent) ranked prioritising an emergency fund as the most valuable financial pearl of wisdom they’ve ever received.
Trying not to get into too much debt was cited by 21 per cent as one of the most helpful tips, alongside ‘start investing early’ (14 per cent), ‘make the most of tax‑free savings’ (12 per cent), and tracking spending (12 per cent).
But not all advice has had positive outcomes – with 18 per cent admitting they were once encouraged to ‘just put it on a credit card’, regardless of whether they could afford to pay it off.
And 36 per cent say they’ve been given financial advice they didn’t ask for.
In fact, 43 per cent have received unsolicited financial ‘pearls of wisdom’ in some unexpected places, including from a stranger in the pub (12 per cent), on public transport (10 per cent), and even from taxi drivers (11 per cent).
The research also found that 51 per cent find it difficult to know which financial guidance they can genuinely trust.
Alex Sitaras, from Skipton Building Society, which will also hand out an easy‑to‑follow ISA tip sheet to passengers, added:
“Our research shows that many people aren’t sure where to turn to for financial advice, and often pick up guidance in the most unexpected places.
“We see this every day, and it’s why we focus on giving people straightforward, reliable support – whether they’re just looking for simple guidance or want to explore financial advice in more depth.
“We’ve taken this conversation on the road, quite literally, by inviting people into one of our branded taxis for open, honest chats about ISAs, saving habits and why good advice matters.”
“And for anyone who’s unsure where to start, Skipton is here to help. People can get in touch or pop into any of our branches for free, money guidance, giving them the confidence to take the next step in their financial journey.”