Conviction serves as a reminder to private hire vehicle drivers

Zaheer Ahmed was sentenced after officers from Shropshire Council's investigations team witnessed him illegally taking a fare which had not been booked in advance in his private hire vehicle – an activity known as 'plying for hire'.

The offence took place in the early hours of March 18 at Shifnal.

Mr Ahmed pleaded guilty to plying for hire and for having invalid motor insurance for the journey undertaken in a hearing at Telford Magistrates Court.

He was ordered to pay a total of £1220.60 in fines and costs.

In addition, he was given eight penalty points on his driving licence for the insurance offence.

The officers witnessed the offence as part of a pre-planned plying for hire operation undertaken by the trading standards and licensing investigations team.

Shropshire Council said the operations are carried out to ensure the safety of the public by tackling drivers who are willing to take an unbooked fare – and thus invalidate their insurance for that journey.

Grant Tunnadine, the council's investigations team manager for trading standards and licensing, said: "We welcome the outcome of this case. Shropshire Council considers the act of plying for hire extremely seriously and we will continue to undertake these operations in order to test whether drivers are operating lawfully.

"Our advice to the trade is simple – private hire vehicles are not permitted to ply for hire, and where we identify such cases we will investigate them fully. Not only is this activity illegal, it will invalidate a driver's insurance putting customers and other road users, including pedestrians at serious risk. In addition any private hire driver found plying for hire will also be reported to the council's licensing panel with the very realistic prospect of them losing their licence."

Frances Darling, Shropshire Council's trading standards and licensing operations manager, added: "It is imperative that private hire drivers fully comply with the rules governing their trade or they will ultimately face the full weight of the law.

"Officers from the trading standards and licensing team undertake a number of different activities in order to ensure that the taxis and private hire vehicles licensed by the council are not only safe but are operating in a manner which does not pose an unacceptable risk to the public.

"This can include working closely with the police when undertaking evening patrols, and from time to time this can include undertaking covert plying for hire operations using plain-clothed officers. These checks are undertaken across the whole of the county with the aim of stamping out illegal activity and improving public safety."