Taxi driver who plied for fares illegally fined £2,000
A taxi driver has been ordered to pay more than £2,000 after being caught illegally plying for fares in Telford.
Manawar Hussain, from Birmingham, was caught in Wellington by Telford & Wrekin Council licensing officers after accepting an un-booked fare.
He had been approached by police special constables posing as prospective customers as part of a joint undercover operation at the end of last year.
Hussain, a private hire taxi driver licensed by Shropshire Council, was sentenced at Telford Magistrates Court this week after pleading guilty to plying for hire and having no motor insurance.
He was ordered by the court to pay a total of £2,076 in fines and costs and also received seven penalty points on his driving license.
Nicky Minshall, the service delivery manager for public protection at Telford & Wrekin Council, said: "These operations are part of our ongoing efforts to ensure that taxi drivers operating in Telford and Wrekin, and the taxis they drive, comply with the law and are properly insured.
"This is a matter of public safety and members of the public are extremely vulnerable if they 'flag down' a private hire vehicle which can only accept pre-booked journeys."
Ms Minshall added: "We urge anyone in the borough taking a taxi to use one that is pre-booked through a licensed operator or is a Hackney carriage licensed by Telford & Wrekin Council."
She said: "We will continue to crack down on all taxi drivers and operators who ignore the rules and we encourage members of the public to report illegal activity to us.
"We can use this information to help determine our enforcement activities."
