More than £3000 in penalties for uninsured journeys.
Two Milton Keynes private hire drivers have been fined more than £3000 in total after illegally picking up passengers without bookings.
The drivers were caught following a special operation led by Milton Keynes City Council in July last year. Council staff posed as customers to check whether private hire drivers were following the legal requirement for journeys to be pre‑booked through a licensed operator.
Non booked rides leave passengers uninsured in the case of an incident.
In the first case, Sikandar Malik of Wolverton picked up two council officers in Wolverton and drove them to Fenny Stratford without a booking. He pleaded guilty at Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court on 16th January and was fined for plying for hire and for driving without valid insurance for the journey.
Mr Malik was ordered to pay a total of £1,145 and received six DVLA penalty points. His private hire licence will now be reviewed by the city council.
The second driver, Ali Rahimy Mohammad of Great Holm, picked up two council officers in Stony Stratford and took them to Fenny Stratford without a booking. He was found guilty at the same court on 16th January and fined for plying for hire and driving without insurance. He was ordered to pay £1,890 and received eight DVLA penalty points. His licence will also be reviewed.
“These cases show why enforcement is so important,” said Cllr Mick egg, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services. “We’ll continue carrying out checks to protect passengers and make sure licensing rules are followed.”
