Out of area taxi driver fined over £2,000 for illegal plying for hire at Henley Regatta
A taxi driver has been hit with a fine exceeding £2,000 and received six penalty points on his driving licence for unlawfully plying for hire during Henley Regatta.
Muhammad Naeem was convicted in his absence at Oxfordshire Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 13 December. The court heard that Mr Naeem had failed to attend the hearing to answer charges linked to an incident on 5 July 2024.
Licensing officers from South Oxfordshire District Council were monitoring activity in Henley-on-Thames during the Regatta when they spotted a grey Toyota Auris prominently positioned to attract passengers. The vehicle displayed a Buckinghamshire Council licence plate, which raised immediate concerns.
Undercover officers conducted a test purchase, during which Mr Naeem agreed to take them to Reading for £60 without a prior booking. As a private hire driver licensed in Buckinghamshire, he was not authorised to operate in South Oxfordshire or to accept fares without a booking. Furthermore, his insurance policy, limited to pre-booked journeys, was invalidated by his actions.
During a subsequent interview, Mr Naeem admitted to agreeing to the fare and acknowledged that his decision breached insurance requirements. Magistrates fined him £660 for illegal plying for hire and related offences. He was also ordered to pay £1,092 in costs and a victim surcharge of £260, resulting in a total financial penalty of £2,012.
Mr Naeem’s DVLA licence was endorsed with six penalty points, adding to the consequences of his unauthorised activity. The fine must be paid within 28 days.
Henley Regatta continues to attract unlicensed drivers, with 17 individuals prosecuted for similar offences over the last three years. South Oxfordshire District Council has further cases scheduled for court hearings in the coming months.
Cllr Georgina Heritage, Cabinet Member for Communities at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Our primary concern is the safety of the public. Offering taxi rides illegally poses a significant risk as it allows unvetted drivers to pick up passengers in untraceable and often uninsured journeys. These activities undermine the licensing system, compromise safety and deprive legitimate taxi drivers of work. This conviction sends a clear message that illegal taxi operations will not be tolerated in South Oxfordshire.”
