ILLEGAL FARES ACCEPTED: Out-of-area private hire crackdown sees drivers hit with fines after covert Reading checks
- Perry Richardson
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
Reading Borough Council has prosecuted two private hire drivers for illegally accepting fares in the town without prior bookings, with fines and costs totalling more than £2,500 and one driver receiving a six-month driving ban.
The cases followed covert test purchase operations carried out by council licensing officers in November 2024 and June 2025.
In the first case, officers approached a Southampton-licensed private hire driver outside Grosvenor Casino on Queens Road. The driver agreed to take an officer to Wokingham for £60 without the journey being pre-booked.
At Reading Magistrates’ Court on 1 May 2026, the driver was found guilty of plying for hire and using a motor vehicle without insurance. He was fined £180, ordered to pay £500 in costs and a £72 surcharge.
Reading licensing officers secured convictions after test purchase operations found out-of-area private hire drivers accepting journeys without bookings.
Magistrates also endorsed his driving licence with eight penalty points. Added to six existing points from another offence, the total led to a six-month driving disqualification.
A second case followed a separate test purchase operation in West Street, Reading, in June 2025. A Wokingham-licensed private hire driver agreed to take officers to Market Place in Wokingham for £35 without a booking.
At court on 11 May 2026, magistrates fined the driver £225 for plying for hire and £594 for using a motor vehicle without insurance. He was also ordered to pay a £328 surcharge and £1,640 towards costs. His licence was endorsed with eight penalty points.
Private hire vehicles can only carry passengers through a prior booking made with a licensed operator. Unlike hackney carriages, they cannot be hailed in the street or picked up from taxi ranks.
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.”
