Taxi driver ordered to pay £1,700+ after unlawfully plying for hire in another area

Dacorum Borough Council has prosecuted a taxi driver licensed by another local authority for unlawfully plying for hire in its area.

The prosecution followed an undercover operation involving Dacorum’s licensing enforcement officers and Hertfordshire Police.

Muhammed Imran, 32, of Queens Park, Aylesbury, was licensed by Aylesbury Vale District Council.

This week (2 March) he was found guilty of two offences at St Albans Magistrates Court. The first offence was unlawfully plying for hire on Akeman Street in Tring and the second offence was driving without insurance.

The defendant had accepted an un-booked fare when approached by police special constables posing as prospective customers. All fares accepted by private hire taxi drivers must be pre-booked.

As a result of unlawfully plying for hire, Imran’s vehicle was not insured for the journey, Dacorum said.

The defendant had denied the offence and said there was a booking. However, the Magistrates rejected this and ordered him to pay a total of £1,737.50 in fines and costs.

The court also gave him eight penalty points on his driving licence. With six points already on his licence, this meant Imran is now disqualified from driving for six months.

Cllr Neil Harden, Portfolio Holder for Residents and Regulatory Services at Dacorum, said: “I welcome this decision which enforces the strong stance taken by Dacorum Borough Council on this issue. I believe this conviction and sentence will send out the message that unlawful plying for hire and driving without insurance will not be tolerated in Dacorum. By picking up passengers in this way, the driver’s insurance was invalid, posing a risk to his passengers, other road users and the wider public”.