Taxi Driver Online

Cabbie Fined For Illegal Pick-up – but keeps licence

1st July 2009

A private hire cab driver has been fined for illegally picking up passengers in the street, but allowed to keep his licence.

Cabbie Yasin Mohammadi (34), of Crown Street, Peterborough, was snared in an undercover operation launched by Peterborough City Council and the police.

Under the terms of their licences and insurance, private hire drivers are only allowed to pick up pre-booked passenger.

But Mohammadi offered a lift to two plain-clothes officers in Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough Magistrates’ Court heard.

He was ordered to pay £120 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to unlawfully plying for hire, having no insurance and failing to wear his private hire badge.

City council licensing enforcement officer Ken Gray said: “If a private hire car picks up a passenger without a pre-booking, it invalidates the vehicle’s insurance.

“If a member of the public gets into a private hire vehicle without a prior booking, no one has any record of where they’re going or which vehicle or driver picked them up, and this obviously raises important personal safety issues.

“Taxi enforcement officers closely monitor the trade to protect the interests and safety of passengers, and will not hesitate to prosecute any private hire driver found unlawfully plying for hire.”

Source; peterboroughtoday.co.uk

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

IMO if they are going to fine drivers instead of taking their licence from them they should at least make it a decent amount that they fine them. That kind of fine offers no deterrent to pirating at all

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

“If a member of the public gets into a private hire vehicle without a prior booking, no one has any record of where they’re going or which vehicle or driver picked them up, and this obviously raises important personal safety issues.

lol Is that the same as getting into a taxi

Taxi has no prior booking.

Strange statement

exactly

and more dangerous for the driver than the passengers

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Fines have to be based on income.

If he says at the mo his income is low, the fine level will be likewise.

In fact he was better off going to court rather than pay the fixed £200 no insurance ticket.

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IDFIMH

I'd call travelling in a vehicle which is'nt insured to ply for hire a safety issue.

Whilst I don't agree with drivers illegally plying for hire I can't see how it is a safety issue. It might be a pay out issue if you are involved in an accident but not a safety issue

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!