Taxi Driver Online

Reading Festival: massive fine for taxi driver who traded illegally

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news ... illegally/

A taxi driver who was caught plying his trade at the Reading Festival without a valid licence has been handed a massive fine.

Muhammed Shahzad, of Regent Street, Reading, is licenced by South Oxfordshire District Council.

This means he can only work as a cab driver in that council's area.

On August 27 last year, officers from Reading Borough Council caught Shahzad trying to pick up customers at the Reading Festival, one of the UK's biggest music events.

He agreed to take undercover council workers to Henley-on-Thames for £50.

Shahzad pleaded guilty to a charge of plying for hire.

On April 19, 2024, magistrates fined the driver £922.

In addition, he must pay £200 in court costs and a £369 victim surcharge - bringing the total amount of fines and costs owed to almost £1,500.

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IDFIMH

Here's another version from an alternative news source. Having read the piece above about the 'massive' £922 fine, and the cross-border $hite, it's obvious even from the headline here that there's going to be inaccuracies - the £1,500 is not just the 'fine', and he's not really an unlicensed driver


Unlicensed taxi driver fined more than £1,500 for plying for hire during Reading Festival

https://rdg.today/unlicensed-taxi-drive ... -festival/

AN UNLICENSED taxi driver in Reading has been forced to pay more than £1,500 in fines after illegally plying for hire.

Muhammed Shahzad, of Regent Street, pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed taxi service at a hearing at Reading Crown Court on Friday, April 19.

Shahzad was fined £1,591 and given eight penalty points on his driving license.

The case was brought by South Oxfordshire County Council after Shahzad was caught plying for hire during Reading Festival last year.

While he was licensed in South Oxfordshire, he was not licensed in Reading, where he picked up undercover officers on August 27 last year.

Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: “Private Hire and Hackney Carriage customers are entitled to trust the person driving is properly vetted, authorised, checked, and licensed.

“Unlicensed drivers undermining that trust will be robustly dealt with to maintain public confidence and ensure safety in our nighttime economy.

“The Reading Licensing Team worked tirelessly to bring this complex case to court, and I am pleased the Magistrates recognised the importance of it.

“Any customer with concerns about taxi or private hire drivers can report them, in confidence, to us at licensing@reading.gov.uk or via the Council Contact Centre on 0118 937 3787.”

Quite apart from the fine actually being just £922, where does the £1,591 come from? The other figures in the first article are £200 costs and £369 victim surcharge, which totals £1,491. So the figures in at least one of the articles must be incorrect by £100.


Is that the way these things normally work? I thought the prosecuting authority would have been the one in which he was caught plying for hire...


Melodramatic, much?

And it's a pity poor old South Oxon Council don't get a mention as regards 'working tirelessly' on this 'complex case'. After all, according to the journo, it was South Oxon who brought the case to court