Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 9, 2025

Barako Transportation & Logistics (“Barako,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), operator of the website barakotransport.com (the "Site"), is deeply committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data with transparency and respect. This Privacy Policy ("Policy") is designed to provide you with a clear understanding of how we collect, use, protect, and share your personal information when you interact with our Site, book our transportation and logistics services ("Services"), or otherwise communicate with us. We encourage you to read this Policy thoroughly to understand our practices regarding your personal data.

Our approach to privacy is straightforward: we only collect personal data that you voluntarily and directly provide to us, for example, when you fill out a booking form, send us an inquiry, or subscribe to a newsletter (if offered). We use this information exclusively for the purpose of fulfilling your requests, providing our Services, communicating with you about your bookings or inquiries, and complying with legal obligations. Importantly, we do not employ invasive tracking technologies such as persistent cookies for profiling, third-party analytics services that monitor your behavior across different websites, or any form of third-party trackers for advertising purposes on our Site.

1. Information We Collect and How We Collect It

We collect "Personal Information," which is any information that can be used to identify you as an individual, or that can be linked to you. The types of Personal Information we collect depend on how you interact with us:

• Information You Provide Directly:
  • Booking Information: When you book our Services, we collect necessary details to process your request. This typically includes your full name, email address, primary phone number, alternative contact numbers (if provided), specific pickup and drop-off addresses (including street names, building numbers, and relevant landmarks), flight details (if applicable for airport transfers), preferred date and time of service, type of service required (e.g., passenger transport, cargo type and dimensions), and any special instructions or preferences you might have (e.g., vehicle type preference, accessibility needs).
  • Payment Information: To process payments for our Services, we collect billing information, which may include your credit/debit card details (card number, expiry date, CVV – though often this is processed directly by our secure payment gateway and not stored by us), mobile money transaction details, or bank account information for direct transfers. This information is handled with the utmost security.
  • Contact and Inquiry Information: When you contact us via email, phone, our website's contact form, or social media channels, we collect the information you provide, such as your name, email address, phone number, the content of your message, and any attachments. This helps us respond to your queries effectively.
  • Account Information (if applicable): If we introduce user accounts in the future, we would collect information such as your username, password, and other details necessary for account creation and management.
• Information Collected Automatically (Minimal):
  • Log Data (Server-Side): Like most websites, our web servers may automatically log basic information when you access our Site. This data is typically anonymous and used for system administration, security monitoring, and troubleshooting. It may include your IP address (which can sometimes indicate your general geographic location), browser type and version, operating system, the referring website (if you clicked a link to reach us), pages visited on our Site, and the dates/times of access. This data is not used to personally identify you or track your behavior for marketing purposes.
  • Cookies (Strictly Necessary): We may use session cookies, which are temporary and expire once you close your browser. These are essential for the basic functioning of the website, such as maintaining your session if you log into an account or proceed through a multi-page booking form. We do not use tracking or advertising cookies. You can usually control cookie preferences through your browser settings.

2. How We Use Your Information

We are committed to using your Personal Information responsibly and only for the legitimate purposes for which it was collected. These purposes include:

• Providing and Managing Services:
  • To process and confirm your bookings for transportation, logistics, or other related services.
  • To coordinate the dispatch of vehicles and personnel.
  • To communicate with you regarding your service requests, including sending booking confirmations, service updates, reminders, and notifications of any changes or delays.
  • To provide customer support and respond effectively to your inquiries, requests, or complaints.
• Payment Processing:
  • To process payments for the Services you have booked and to issue invoices or receipts.
  • To prevent fraudulent transactions and ensure secure payment processing.
• Improving Our Services (Internal Use):
  • To analyze aggregated and anonymized data (which does not identify individuals) to understand service demand, optimize our operations, improve service quality, and plan routes more efficiently.
  • To troubleshoot issues with our Site or Services.
• Legal and Safety Obligations:
  • To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or governmental requests (e.g., providing information to law enforcement if legally required).
  • To protect the rights, property, or safety of Barako, our customers, our drivers, or the public, as required or permitted by law. This may include investigating potential fraud or security incidents.
• Communication (Non-Marketing):
  • To send you important administrative information regarding our Services, such as changes to our terms, conditions, and policies. These communications are generally not marketing-related and are essential for our relationship with you.
  • We will never use your Personal Information for unsolicited marketing emails or share it with third parties for their direct marketing purposes without your explicit, opt-in consent.

3. Sharing and Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell, rent, lease, or trade your Personal Information to third parties for their marketing or commercial purposes. We only share your Personal Information in the following limited circumstances and with appropriate safeguards:

• Service Providers and Partners: We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who perform essential functions on our behalf. This includes:
  • Payment Processors: To securely process your payments. These processors have their own strict privacy and security standards (e.g., PCI DSS compliance). We do not store your full credit card details on our servers.
  • Communication Providers: For sending SMS or email confirmations and updates related to your bookings (e.g., an SMS gateway provider).
  • IT and System Administration: Companies that help us maintain our website, booking systems, and IT infrastructure.
  These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and are only permitted to use it for the specific services they provide to us. They are not authorized to use your Personal Information for their own purposes.
• Legal Requirements and Law Enforcement: We may disclose your Personal Information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:
  • Comply with a legal obligation, court order, subpoena, or other legal process.
  • Protect and defend the rights, property, or safety of Barako Transportation & Logistics, our customers, our employees, or the public.
  • Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Services (e.g., fraud).
  • Enforce our Terms of Service or other agreements.
• Business Transfers (Hypothetical): In the event that Barako is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing due diligence, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, sale of company assets, or transition of service to another provider, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We would ensure that any such transfer is subject to confidentiality agreements and that the acquiring entity agrees to respect your privacy rights as outlined in this Policy or a comparable one.
• With Your Explicit Consent: We may share your information with other third parties if you have explicitly consented to such sharing. For example, if you request us to share your trip details with a family member.

4. Data Security

We take the security of your Personal Information very seriously and implement a range of administrative, technical, and physical security measures designed to protect it from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption: We use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) / Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption for data transmitted between your browser and our Site, particularly for booking forms and payment information. Sensitive data stored in our databases is also subject to encryption where appropriate.
• Access Controls: Access to Personal Information within our organization is restricted to authorized personnel who need the information to perform their job duties (e.g., customer service agents, dispatchers).
• Secure Payment Processing: We partner with reputable payment gateway providers that comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requirements.
• Regular Security Reviews: We periodically review our security policies and procedures to ensure they remain effective and appropriate.
• Data Minimization: We only collect and retain Personal Information that is necessary for the purposes outlined in this Policy.

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, it's important to remember that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, while we endeavor to protect your data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You also play a role in protecting your information, for example, by using strong passwords if accounts are offered and by being cautious about sharing personal details.

5. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on your location and applicable data protection laws (such as GDPR if you are in the EEA, or similar local regulations), you may have certain rights regarding your Personal Information. We are committed to upholding these rights. These may include:

• The Right to Access: You have the right to request copies of the Personal Information we hold about you.
• The Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• The Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You have the right to request that we erase your Personal Information, under certain conditions (e.g., if the data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, or if you withdraw consent and there's no other legal ground for processing).
• The Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your Personal Information, under certain conditions.
• The Right to Object to Processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your Personal Information, under certain conditions, particularly for direct marketing purposes (which we do not engage in without consent).
• The Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• The Right to Withdraw Consent: If we are processing your Personal Information based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in the "Contact Us" section below ([email protected]). We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable laws. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request to protect your privacy and security.

6. Data Retention

We will retain your Personal Information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. The criteria used to determine our retention periods include:

• The length of time we have an ongoing relationship with you and provide Services to you (e.g., as long as you have an account with us or keep using our services).
• Whether there is a legal obligation to which we are subject (e.g., certain laws require us to keep records of your transactions for a certain period of time before we can delete them).
• Whether retention is advisable in light of our legal position (such as in regard to applicable statutes of limitations, litigation, or regulatory investigations).

When your Personal Information is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

7. Children’s Privacy

Our Services are not directed at, nor intended for use by, individuals under the age of 16 (or a higher age threshold if stipulated by applicable local law, e.g., 18 in some contexts for contractual capacity). We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 16. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected Personal Information from a child under 16 without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information from our records as soon as possible. If you are a parent or guardian and you believe that your child has provided us with Personal Information without your consent, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

8. International Data Transfers (If Applicable)

If our operations involve transferring your Personal Information to countries outside of your country of residence (for example, if our servers or third-party service providers are located elsewhere), we will take appropriate measures to ensure that your Personal Information receives an adequate level of protection in the jurisdictions in which it is processed. This may include relying on adequacy decisions by relevant authorities, or implementing Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or other legally recognized transfer mechanisms.

9. Links to Other Websites

Our Site may, from time to time, contain links to other websites that are not operated by us (e.g., links to tourism sites, partner businesses, or informational resources). If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. This Privacy Policy applies only to our Site and Services.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, service offerings, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make changes to this Policy, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this Policy. If the changes are material, we will provide a more prominent notice, which may include posting a notification on our Site or sending you an email notification (if we have your email address on file and you have agreed to receive communications). We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, comments, or complaints about this Privacy Policy, our data handling practices, or if you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Barako Transportation & Logistics
Attn: Privacy Officer
Email: [email protected]
Address: [Your Company's Full Physical Address, City, Postal Code, Nairobi, Kenya]

We are committed to working with you to obtain a fair resolution of any complaint or concern about privacy.