Taxi Driver Online

Nothing particularly noteworthy here. But spot the slightly misleading sentence here in the official council news release - which isn't literally incorrect, but easy to see how it's been misconstrued by the local press


Unlicensed taxi driver fined over £1,000

- TfL driver caught by undercover licensing officers during Reading Festival 2024
- Partnership operation by Reading, Fareham, and South Oxfordshire Councils to detect illegal activity
- Full financial penalties totalled £1,603

https://media.reading.gov.uk/news/unlic ... -gbp-1-000

A TRANSPORT for London Private Hire driver has been hit with financial penalties totalling more than £1,000 following a covert operation by Licensing Officers from Reading, Fareham, and South Oxfordshire Councils during Reading Festival in August 2024.

Hammad Ashraf Khan Manj of Railway Terrace, Slough, was licensed by Transport for London (TfL) to accept pre-booked fares within the London area. On the evening of 23 August 2024, undercover officers approached Mr Manj’s vehicle on Tessa Road. He agreed to take them to Slough railway station for £35, stating that the doors were open and they could go now.

Despite initially denying any wrongdoing while being interviewed under caution, Mr Manj pleaded guilty to the offence of Plying for Hire on 7 February 2025 at Reading Magistrates Court.

Credited with entering a guilty plea, Mr Manj was fined £576 for the offence of plying for hire. He was additionally handed prosecution costs of £800, and a victim surcharge of £230, bringing the full financial penalties to £1,603.

Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:

“This is a positive result thanks to the joint efforts of Reading Licensing officers in partnership with our colleagues in Fareham and South Oxfordshire.

“Partnership working like this is more important than ever to uphold the high standards expected of Private Hire drivers and to ensure the safety of our travelling public.

“Reading proudly welcomes over 100,000 visitors during the festival weekend, and their safety remains a top priority.

“I’d like to sincerely thank the officers from Fareham and South Oxfordshire for their assistance with this prosecution.”

Strictly speaking, that's not incorrect, but doesn't provide the full picture.

Check out how the local press have presented it, which is obviously incorrect:


Of course, it was the plying for hire that he's specifically not allowed to do, as opposed to accepting pre-bookings in Reading.

And I suspect the word 'operate' above just means 'working', simply speaking. Which, of course, isn't disallowed either

Every year drivers are caught at the Reading Festival, same for the Henly Regatta.

You have to wonder when, if ever, the penny will drop for these so-called 'fit and proper' people.

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IDFIMH

I have only ever done a fare from reading festival once but vowed never again because it's absolute chaos trying to find your customers. Henley regatta is also very busy so I wouldn't be surprised if for every one caught 10 more get away with it. They have probably all been told by mates that it's a big earner because of what they can charge.

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

This one's added on the 'unlicensed taxi driver' angle for good measure

And one or two spelling mistakes, including the clanger in the first line below

And even stronger suggestion here, perhaps, that he shouldn't have been outside of London in the first place...

Don't know if the single sentence in Reading Borough Council's news release was deliberately selective, but both the press rehashes have blown it all up a bit, and it's maybe this kind of thing that adds to the misleading narrative that cross-border working is illegal per se


Unlicensed taxi driver served penalties of more than £1,000

https://rdg.today/unlicensed-taxi-drive ... than-1000/

AN UNLICENSED taxi driver has been fined after plying for higher illegally in Reading.

Hammad Ashraf Khan Manj, of Slough, has been served penalties of over £1,000 after a covert operation by licensing officers found him operating outside of his license last summer.

While he was licensed by Transport for London to work in the capital, on August 23, 2024, undercover officers approached Mr Manj’s vehicle on Tessa Road suring Reading Festival when he agreed to take them to Slough train station.[...]