Taxi driver prosecuted for illegally plying for hire
A private hire taxi driver licensed by Shropshire Council, was sentenced at Telford Magistrates Court yesterday after being caught illegally plying for hire in Telford.
Manawar Hussian of Birmingham, was caught in Wellington by Licensing Officers from Telford & Wrekin Council when he accepted an un-booked fare after being approached by police special constables posing as prospective customers as part of a joint undercover operation at the end of last year.
He pleaded guilty to the offences of plying for hire and having no motor insurance for the journey undertaken.
Following the successful prosecution by Telford & Wrekin Council Mr Hussain was ordered by the court to pay a total of £2,076 in fines and costs and also received seven penalty points on his driving license.
Nicky Minshall, Service Delivery Manager for Public Protection, said: “These operations are part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that taxi drivers operating in Telford and Wrekin, and the taxis they drive, comply with the law and are properly insured.
“This is a matter of public safety and members of the public are extremely vulnerable if they ‘flag down’ a private hire vehicle which can only accept pre-booked journeys.
“We urge anyone in the borough taking a taxi to use one that is pre-booked through a licensed operator or is a Hackney carriage licensed by Telford & Wrekin Council.
“We will continue to crack down on all taxi drivers and operators who ignore the rules and we encourage members of the public to report illegal activity to us. We can use this information to help determine our enforcement activities.”
