Surprising yearly 'tax' only women pay every year without even realising

Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual harassment which some readers may find distressing.

Many women fork out hundreds on a yearly 'tax' without even realising.

With inflation soaring amidst an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, it's understandable why many of us are keen on cutting costs wherever we're able to in order to stretch our paychecks as best we can.

However, it's clear that it's not just rent, bills, and food we've got to worry about when it comes to our regular outgoings, as we've actually been spending a pretty sizeable lump sum on a monthly 'bill' without properly clocking just how much it's been adding up.

Women’s safety organisation, Epowar, found that the average UK woman spends £420 a year on taxis specifically because she doesn't feel safe taking other options.

That is a whole lot of dough spent merely to feel assured you'll survive the commute home unscathed.

The data aptly shows that safety anxiety isn't simply a feeling; it's an actual tax broken down to an average of £35 a month, which is around the cost of a utility bill.

A study has found that women spend over £400 a year on taxis specifically because they don't feel safe taking other options (Getty Stock Images)

'I'd rather be safe than sorry'

I'm sure many women will find the situation all too familiar.

Maya, 27, from London, tells Tyla: "I take taxis home from work every day, because I always finish late. I’ve tried walking and taking public transport, and every time I’ve been harassed or chased home.

"It feels very unsafe, and it's a big cost for me as I’m spending between £10 and £15 per day. It feels very unsafe and, as someone who works in hospitality and always does night shifts, I have no other option."

Georgia, 25, from London shared: "If I’m ever coming home from an evening out in Central, I’ll always get an Uber home from the tube station. Whether it’s after work drinks, a date, or out with friends. It costs me around £8-10, and it does quickly add up when I’m going out multiple times a month, but I don’t feel safe walking home alone late at night, so I’d rather be safe than sorry.

"Sometimes I have to get Uber all the way home if there’s no night tube because I don’t feel safe getting a bus. Even getting the tube can feel unsafe, but usually it’s busy and doesn't have as many weirdos."

Taxis taken purely for safety reasons are a regular expenditure for many women (Getty Stock Images)

'I completely panicked'

Emilija, 26, from London, candidly recalled: "After being followed up the road one evening coming back from work, I felt too scared to walk the same route again once it was dark.

"To avoid possibly encountering the same situation, I decided to take an Uber every evening after work. The thought of walking the same route on my own at night made my hands instantly clammy and my heart race."

One night, she didn’t take a taxi home from work and instead opted for the bus.

"I got off the bus and made my way home," she said. "I was followed up the road by a man on an electric scooter wearing a balaclava. As I was already alert, walking home on my own in the evening, I turned around as soon as I heard the noise from the scooter.

"He slowed down just behind me, and once the scooter was next to me in the road, he started to make a figure of eight next to me."

Emilija continued: "As I turned to see what was happening, I made eye contact with him and instantly felt fear.

"My reaction was to leg it back to the main road, where I burst into a pizza shop completely panicked.

"I saw the man on the scooter had followed me back down the road and was cruising around the high street."

Several women have opened up about their experiences paying for taxis simply to 'get home safely' (Getty Stock Images)

'I'm spending between £10 and £15 on taxis per day'

Caitlin, 24, from London, explained: "It will always get to a certain point in the night when I know that public transport is no longer a viable option for me. Whilst the tube or bus itself may feel safe, I will always feel too nervous and unsafe to walk home from the station on my own late at night."

Emily, 31, from Manchester, opened up about one incident that took place during her tram commute home after a late shift.

"There was a man sitting across from me who was visibly intoxicated, and he kept making eye contact with me as he was swearing loudly and shouting. I had my earphones in and was trying to ignore him, but he kept staring at me more and more intensely, and then he stood up, took his top off, and started spraying deodorant near me?! All while swearing and shouting still..." she recounted.

"I may have watched too many crime dramas, but I fully envisioned him setting me on fire."

The yearly cost works out as a £35 'bill' every month (Getty Stock Images)

'I've always felt it's a matter of time until something actually happens one day'

Emily continued: "So I got off the tram after just two stops and booked an Uber as there was no chance I was staying on with a derranged and intoxicated man like that. I feel he was actively trying to get attention from me, all while intimidating me at the same time.

"And sadly, this isn't the first time I've felt uncomfortable by men on my tram home! So many times, men have tried to get involved in my conversation while on the phone, or just stare incessantly at me, which makes me feel so uneasy.

"I've always felt it's a matter of time until something actually happens one day on my evening commutes, which I know is a bad way to think, but it's unfortunately all too realistic!"

It's important to note that being able to afford a taxi home to ensure your safety is a financial privilege and, unfortunately, not every woman will have such a safety net.

And Becky, 24, from Manchester, added: "I always get taxis when I’m meeting a friend on a night out, it feels safer than walking or getting public transport.

"Sometimes I get frustrated when my male friends can just walk home or get the tram when it’s dark. I wouldn’t risk it, so I choose the more expensive option. Unfortunately, I experienced creepy taxi drivers, but at least I know my friends can track the driver and where I’m at, and will get alerted if I’m not dropped off.

"Additionally, if it’s late at night, or I've had a few drinks, or I feel the driver is being weird, I call a friend or family member just for a chat while I’m in the car. It may not be the cheapest option, or even 100% safe, but it’s the hidden cost of being a woman, and unfortunately, I’d rather pay that fee than something worse happening."

Women are being forced to shoulder the financial and mental load of keeping safe on the street (Getty Stock Images)

And the cost of feeling safe goes way further than Ubers and black cabs.

I know I've personally accumulated an entire arsenal of 'tips on how to not be attacked' when trying to get home.

Whether it's the good old-fashioned strategically-placed keys gripped in your hand trick or never wearing headphones so you can better hear if someone's coming up behind you all the way through to attaching a bulky rape alarm to your keychain and alerting your friends or partner to track your Find My iPhone location for your entire commute back to your front door - I'm f*cking exhausted.

Because it feels like no matter what we do as women in the hopes of 'keeping safe', it doesn't actually work. And we're not making it up.

Around one in eight women were victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse, or stalking in the last year, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) as part of its Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year up to March 2025.

Around one in eight women were victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse or stalking in 2025 (Getty Stock Images)

Meanwhile, a 2025 study commissioned by women’s safety organisation Epowar found that the majority of women in the UK (78%) are worried about travelling alone in the dark, fearful they will be followed (54%) or straight-up attacked (50%).

This just highlights the breadth of the financial and mental burden women are carrying to ensure they feel safe in public spaces.

It's almost as if the best 'top tip' to lower the number of women being harassed or assaulted on the street has nothing to do with the woman in question, but the perpetrator not actually doing the attacking.

But, until that changes, I guess we'll all continue to fork out £420 a year just to make sure we get home safe.

If you’ve experienced sexual or street harassment, you’re not alone — and support is available. You can call Victim Support for free, 24/7 on 08 08 16 89 111, or use their Live Chat service at www.victimsupport.org.uk.