Private hire drivers fined after picking up undercover officers in city centre stinghttps://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ ... tre-sting/TWO private hire drivers have been fined for picking up customers who didn't pre book during an undercover operation.Undercover police and Council officers were involved in the operation on July 21 that saw them asking private hire drivers if they could take them home from a "night out" in the city centre.
Private hire drivers are legally only allowed to pick up pre-booked customers.
Two of the private hire drivers who fell foul of the operation appeared at Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court on Friday - with both given hefty fines and points added to their licence.
Wadi Hussain, 62, of St Mary's Road was charged with plying for hire when the car was not licensed as a public hackney carriage, operating a private hire vehicle without an operator's licence and using a motor vehicle without third party insurance.
The court heard that on July 21 he was parked on Sunbridge Road, near The Sun pub. Two undercover officers approached the car, knocked on the window and asked if he was free. Hussain said he was, and then they asked if he could take them to Thornton. He said it would cost £5.
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They got into the car and the journey began. Shortly later the car was stopped by a marked police car.
When interviewed he admitted the passengers had not pre booked.
Magistrates were told that because the law states that private hire drivers can only pick up customers who have pre booked - they are not covered by their insurance if they pick up any non pre-booked passengers. They are also not licensed to pick up passengers in this way.
Harjit Ryatt, prosecuting on behalf of Bradford Council, said: "He accepted he shouldn't have picked the passengers up. They asked me to take them somewhere and I took them there. I did it on the spur of the moment."
Hussain did not appear in court.
He was ordered to pay £542 costs, given a £355 fine, ordered to pay a £35 victim surcharge and handed eight penalty points.
Nadeem Akhtar, 45, of Manscombe Road, was charged with similar offences - plying for hire when a carriage was not licensed as a public hackney carriage, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance, and operating a private hire vehicle without an operator's licence.
At ten past midnight on July 21 he was also approached by two undercover officers.
They asked if he was free and he said yes. They asked if he could take them to Saffron Drive, and Akhtar said it would cost £5.
He was stopped by a marked car shortly into the journey, and he confirmed to officers the passengers had not pre booked. He knew all passengers needed to book through the operator.
He said he was about to clock off for the day and head towards Allerton, so when the undercover officers approached them he agreed to take them.
Akhtar did not appear in court, but sent Magistrates a letter pleading for them to not give him six or more points on his licence as it would impact his insurance.
It added: "I accept my mistake. I have been in the taxi profession for 20 years and I have never caused an accident and never picked up anyone illegally before."
He said when the officers asked for a lift "human nature kicked in."
He was ordered to pay £552 costs, given a £251 fine and ordered to pay a £32 victim surcharge. He was also given eight points on his licence.
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