An illegal cab driver who was arrested twice in subsequent weekends has been jailed for a total of 18 weeks.
The sentence follows arrests made by the MPS Cab Enforcement Unit, part of the Transport for London (TfL) funded Safer Transport Command (STC).
Nahim Gaffer-Doud, 37 years of Rectory Lane SW17 appeared at West London Magistrates Court on 15 June and pleaded guilty to two counts of touting for hire, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving whilst disqualified.
Plain clothed police officers were carrying out roadside and compliance checks on minicabs in Regent Street W1, in the early hours on Friday 27 May, when Gaffer-Doud approached the officers in his vehicle and asked them if they wanted a cab. He was arrested for touting for hire and further checks revealed that he was disqualified from driving and uninsured. He was charged and bailed to appear at West London Magistrates Court at a later date.
But just over a week later, in the early hours of Saturday 4 June, Gaffer-Doud again approached plain clothed police officers, this time in Clapham High Street SW4 and asked them if they wanted a cab. He was arrested and appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court later that day where he pleaded guilty to touting for hire, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving whilst disqualified.
Both cases were transferred to West London Magistrates Court and on 15 June, he was sentenced to a total of 18 weeks imprisonment.
Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, MPS Safer Transport Command, said: "The Cabs Enforcement Unit is dedicated to improving the safety and security of cabs and dealing with unbooked ‘minicabs’, which put the public at risk. This case should serve as a reminder that our officers are out on the streets of the capital targeting unbooked minicabs and bringing offenders to justice."
Steve Burton, Director of Community Safety Enforcement and Policing at TfL, said: “This is a fantastic result for the Safer Transport Command, who work tirelessly to minimise the threat posed by unbooked minicabs. The severity of the sentence given to Mr. Gaffer-Doud should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks about touting in London. We will always push for the harshest punishment possible for those who engage in this criminal activity “
