Taxi Driver Online

This reads like a council press release rewrite, in which case I normally look for the original online and paste that. But, as per usual, I think Reading Borough Council just send them directly to the press, and don't post them online.

Anyway, nothing particularly out-of-the-ordinary here. Except, of course, that it might be out of the ordinary in the vast majority of councils, but Reading does a lot of this kind of stuff all the time


Private hire taxi drivers prosecuted in Reading town centre

https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news ... wn-centre/

Two private hire drivers have been prosecuted after illegally picking up passengers without bookings in Reading.

The offences occurred in the town during test purchase operations carried out by the council’s licensing team outside the Grosvenor Casino on Queens Road and in the town centre.

This lead to convictions for both drivers and a combined total of more than £2,500 in fines and costs.

Shafqat Ali, 42, of Faringdon Road, agreed to take an undercover officer to Wokingham for £60 without a prior booking.

This act, known as "plying for hire," is illegal for private hire drivers, who may only take passengers with pre-booked journeys.

Councillor John Ennis, lead councillor for climate strategy and transport at Reading Borough Council, said: "Public safety and confidence in regulated and licensed taxis is of paramount importance.

"Private Hire and Hackney Carriage customers are entitled to trust the person driving is properly vetted, authorised, checked, and licensed.

"Unlicensed drivers who undermine that trust will be robustly dealt with to maintain public confidence and ensure safety in our night time economy.

"The Council Licensing Team worked tirelessly to bring this complex case to court, and I am glad Magistrates’ recognised the importance of it."

Private hire journeys must be pre-booked.

If they are not, the passenger is not insured in the event of an accident.

On May 1, 2026, Mr Ali was found guilty at Reading Magistrates Court of plying for hire and using a motor vehicle without insurance.

He was fined £180 and ordered to pay £500 in costs, along with a victim surcharge of £72.

His driving licence was endorsed with eight penalty points.

Combined with a previous endorsement of six points, he was disqualified from driving for six months.

In a separate operation in June 2025, officers carried out another covert test purchase in central Reading.

They approached Amit Malik, a private hire driver licensed by Wokingham Borough Council, and asked for a journey to Market Place in Wokingham.

Mr Malik agreed to take the passenger without a booking, quoting a fare of £35.

This was also in breach of private hire licensing laws.

At a hearing on May 11, 2026, Mr Malik was fined £225 for plying for hire and £594 for driving without insurance.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £328 and £1,640 towards prosecution costs.

His licence was endorsed with eight penalty points.

Any customer who has any concerns about taxi or private hire drivers can report them in confidence to licensing@reading.gov.uk or through the Council Contact Centre on 0118 937 3787.

Makes it sound like the John Worboys prosecution, or the Uber Supreme Court case

But 'worked tirelessly' is a comms cliche in this sort of stuff, and a bit of a red flag for me

But maybe that's because it was actually the licensing department who wrote it, as opposed to the quoted 'lead councillor for climate strategy and transport'

There was actually a news release on the council's website. Pretty sure I looked and there was nothing there, so maybe it was released directly to the press before wider dissemination via the council's website.

Anyway, there's presumably nothing new here. But couldn't help notice the highlighted paragraph below, which is technically incorrect, and I'm sure Reading has written similar before.

Of course, he's actually licensed by Wokingham to take bookings anywhere


Council crackdown results in two fines and a ban for illegal private hire drivers

https://media.reading.gov.uk/news/counc ... re-drivers

READING’S licensing team has successfully prosecuted two out-of-area private hire drivers for operating illegally in town, resulting in fines totalling more than £2,500 and one driver being banned from the road.

In November 2024, Council licensing officers carried out a covert test purchasing operation outside the Grosvenor Casino on Queens Road.

During the operation, Southampton-licensed driver Mr Shafqat Ali, 42, of Faringdon Road, agreed to take an officer to Wokingham for £60 without a prior booking, approximately double the typical fare when booked through a licensed operator.

It is illegal for Private Hire drivers to pick up passengers from the street or a taxi rank. Private Hire fares must be pre-booked; passengers are not covered by insurance in the case of an accident.

At Reading Magistrates Court on 1 May 2026, Mr Ali was found guilty of the offences of Plying for Hire and using a motor vehicle without insurance. He was fined £180 and ordered to pay £500 in costs, as well as a surcharge of £72.

Magistrates also endorsed Mr Ali’s driving licence with eight penalty points. This, along with six he’d previously been given for another offence, means Mr Ali is now disqualified from driving for six months, effective immediately.

In a separate operation in June 2025, licensing officers conducting test purchases in West Street, Reading, approached Mr Amit Malik, a private hire driver, who also agreed to take them on a journey without a prior booking, this time to Market Place in Wokingham for a fare of £35, again in breach of licensing laws.

Mr Malik is licensed by Wokingham Borough Council to accept pre-booked fares within the local authority area.

At court on 11 May 2026, Magistrates handed Mr Malik fines of £225 for the offence of plying for hire, and £594 for using a motor vehicle without insurance. He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £328 and a contribution of £1640 towards costs. His Licence was also endorsed with 8 Penalty Points.

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

“Public safety and confidence in regulated and licensed taxis is of paramount importance. Private Hire and Hackney Carriage customers are entitled to trust the person driving is properly vetted, authorised, checked, and licensed.

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

“The Council Licensing Team worked tirelessly to bring this complex case to court, and I am glad Magistrates’ recognised the importance of it.”

Any customer who has any concerns about taxi or private hire drivers can report them in confidence to us at licensing@reading.gov.uk or through the Council Contact Centre on 0118 937 3787.

ENDS