OFF TO A FLYER: Private hire driver hit with ban and costs of over £2,000 after illegally taking fare to Gatwick Airport

A Reading private hire driver has been disqualified from driving for four months and ordered to pay more than £2,000 after being caught illegally plying for hire in the town centre.

Mr Ram Sah appeared at Reading Magistrates Court on 20 October 2025 following an incident earlier this year when he unlawfully offered his services to undercover licensing officers.

On 14 February 2025, Sah approached two Reading Council licensing officers outside the Pentahotel on Oxford Road and offered to take them to Gatwick Airport for £100. The journey was not pre-booked, meaning the vehicle would not have been insured to carry passengers.

Private hire drivers are only permitted to accept pre-booked fares arranged through an operator. Picking up passengers without a booking breaches licensing law and invalidates insurance coverage.

When the officers identified themselves, Sah drove off without warning while the vehicle door remained open, narrowly missing one of the officers.

At court, Sah was found guilty of plying for hire and using a vehicle without insurance. Magistrates fined him £200, ordered him to pay £2,210 in costs, and imposed an £80 victim surcharge. His driving disqualification began immediately and will last four months.

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A Reading Borough Council spokesperson said the case serves as a reminder that illegal taxi activity puts public safety at risk and will be pursued through the courts where necessary.

Cllr Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: “Thanks to Reading’s proactive Licensing team, another driver choosing to flout the rules and ultimately risk putting others in danger has been caught.

“Covert operations like this one will continue, pursuing illegal drivers to ensure standards of our licensed trade are kept high, and customers can have confidence they are having a safe, legal journey by a properly licensed and vetted driver.”