Private Hire driver with no licence or insurance fined
Cambridge Magistrates' Court
A motorist who drove a minicab without the necessary licence or insurance has been ordered to pay more than £1,700.
Ioannis Yiannopoulos, of Mackenzie Road, Petersfield, appeared at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court after South Cambridgeshire District Council launched a prosecution.
The 26-year-old admitted not having private hire insurance, for which he was fined £240, and not having a private hire driver’s licence, for which he was fined £1,000.
Yiannopoulos was also ordered to pay £535 costs and was given six penalty points on his driver’s licence.
The court heard Yiannopoulos knew he had to apply to the council for a special licence, but had not thought it was a serious offence.
Cllr Sue Ellington, the authority’s environmental services chief, said: “We would urge residents to only use licensed private hire firms or taxis for their safety.
“Licensed drivers will have a photo identification badge on display.
“In total we license over 500 private hire vehicles, but always check they, and their drivers, comply with regulations laid down by the law to ensure the safety of the people who use them.”
source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Cab-driver-with-no-licence-or-insurance-fined-09112011.htm
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