Private Hire driver counts cost of picking up an illegal fare A PRIVATE hire driver was ordered to pay out more than £2,000 after being found guilty of picking up passengers without a pre-booked appointment.
Kamran Tahir, 26 of Flint Close, Luton was found guilty of picking up passengers without a pre-booked appointment at Milton Keynes Magistrates Court on Tuesday, October 18.
Private hire vehicles can only pick up passengers by prior appointment, but Tahir was fined £300 in his absence for plying for hire – an act which also invalidated his car insurance.
Magistrates also fined him £525 for driving without valid insurance, added six penalty points to his licence and awarded costs of £1621.21 to Milton Keynes Council.
The court heard how before 1am on September 5, 2010 council enforcement officers witnessed Tahir pick up passengers from the Theatre District in Central Milton Keynes in a vehicle displaying Speedline door signs and plate number 219, issued by South Northants Council.
A printout was obtained from Speedline for plate number 219, which revealed that he had no jobs allocated for the Theatre District at the relevant time.
Alan Broomfield, council taxi licensing enforcement officer, said: “This sort of enforcement is ongoing so as to minimise the risks to the public safety when using private hire vehicles.”
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/
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