Private hire driver ordered to pay £2000 court costs

A private hire driver who illegally picked up a passenger in Reading town center has been ordered to pay more than £2,000 after appearing in court. The Court heard how Mohammed Arif had been caught during an undercover operation by Reading Borough Council and Thames Valley Police officers acting as customers.

He denied plying for hire, but was found guilty after a trial at Newbury Magistrates Court. He was fined £110 and ordered to pay £2,016.60 in court costs.  Councillor Paul Gittings, Reading’s lead member for environment, said: “Most people who flag down a private hire vehicle in the street do not understand it is illegal and they are uninsured for the journey.”

News supplied by Taxi Cab News