Man pleads guilty to SIX London taxi touting offences

The Metropolitan Police Roads and Transport unit revealed that a man had appeared in court and pleaded guilty to six offences relating to illegal taxi touting activities.

The spokesperson revealed that the defendant had been charged with two counts of taxi touting, accepting a booking without a Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) operator's licence, and two counts of driving without insurance. He was disqualified from driving for a total of six months.

The spokesperson praised the efforts of the police's taxi and private hire team, adding that it was a great achievement in their continued efforts to crack down on illegal taxi operations.

Taxi touting is seen as a serious problem in the UK, and it's a criminal offence under the Transport Act 1985. Rogue operators can put the safety of passengers at risk, as they fail to undergo the same background checks, training, and vehicle safety inspections.

Enforcing legislation around taxis and private hire vehicles is a primary concern for the Met Police's Roads and Transport team. They rely on tips from the public, anonymous reporting, and intelligence gathering to identify areas where illegal activity occurs. They also carry out routine vehicle checks and work closely with transport regulators to ensure that drivers and their vehicles are legal.

A Met Police Roads and Transport spokesperson said via social media: “On 10/05/23 a male appeared at Court where he pleaded guilty to 6 offences.

“Taxi touting X2. Accepting a booking without PHV operators licence X2. No insurance X2.

“Driver disqualified for 6 months.

“Great work from our taxi & private hire team”