Private hire driver banned after ‘sting’
Published on Friday 29 July 2011 09:05
A man snared in an undercover police sting to catch private hire cars illegally picking up passengers without bookings has been slapped with a driving ban.
Shaimaz Javed, of Gladstone Street, Peterborough was given a four-month driving ban and fined a total of £400 at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
He had pleaded guilty at a previous hearing on July 7 to one count of unlawfully plying for hire and another count of driving without third party insurance after being caught on April 9 as part of a covert operation to stop illegal taxi touting.
Francesca Devine, prosecuting, told the court that Javed was caught just before midnight when he picked up some undercover officers in Broadway, Peterborough.
He took the three women to the Ramada Hotel in Thorpe Wood, where unknown to Javed uniformed police and a council enforcement officer were lying in wait.
Miss Devine said: “The defendant drove them to the hotel on arrival he quoted them a £4.80 fare, they got a receipt and then revealed who they were.
“He then reacted saying the sting could ‘cost him his livelihood’, ‘there goes my licence’ and ‘that’s another person on jobseekers’.”
District Judge Ken Sheraton sentenced him to a four-month driving ban.
He also fined him £200 for unlawfully plying for hire, £200 for having no insurance and ordered him to pay £50 costs and £15 victim surcharge.
Speaking after the court hearing Pc Jenny Herd, who led the operation that snared Javed, said this would send out a strong message to those looking to flout the law.
She said: “This is another fantastic result at court which sends out a really strong message that the police, local authority and the courts will not tolerate drivers who flout the rules.”
Ian Robinson, council taxi enforcement officer, said: “The law makes a clear distinction between a Hackney Carriage – a London cab – that can be hailed in the street and private hire cars that must be pre-booked.
“If a private hire driver picks someone up without a booking, the insurance is generally invalidated, and from a safety point of view there is no record of the driver undertaking the journey.
“If a passenger or driver is attacked the police and taxi enforcement team would have difficulties identifying the driver, vehicle, journey or customer involved.
“We will not hesitate to prosecute any driver who breaches the rules for a quick illegal profit.”
Source; http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news ... _1_2912335
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