It has happened to the best of us. You go to take that cab for the late night journey home, and you realise to your horror, that the money you  thought you had in your wallet or purse was in fact used for that lunchtime sandwich.

Or, have you ever been in that awful situation halfway through your journey when you discover you have left your purse or your wallet either at home or in the office? The panic starts to rise up in you and your mind is racing, how will you pay the fare? The one solution that springs to mind is being thrown out of the cab and left to your own devices, however it may not be the case, if you have your phone, that is!

Vodaphone has recently launched a new way of paying for that cab ride by settling up via a text message, this is currently only available in London and it also allows you to top up that low battery too. This will put an end to the cab rider's forgetfulness at long last, and will put paid to the need to have your wallet or purse when you travel by cab.

As mentioned mobiles that are drained of power can also be topped up via the charger units that will be fitted in the Union Jack-decorated cabs, allowing you to re-charge your phone on the move.

To pay by phone, passengers simply have to text the word 'taxi', followed by the vehicle number and the amount they wish to pay, which is then charged to their phone account. The service is free and users will not be charged for the text.

I for one will benefit from this unique service, and let us hope other phone giants follow suit.