PLYING-FOR-HIRE: Reading driver loses licence appeal after offering illegal taxi rides at Henley Regatta
- Perry Richardson
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Updated: 10 hours ago
Reading Magistrates have upheld Reading Borough Council’s decision to revoke the private hire licence of a driver who was caught illegally offering taxi rides during the Henley Regatta in 2024.
Mr Shabuddin Parvas appeared before the court on 7 October 2025 to appeal the decision originally made in October 2024. The court heard that Mr Parvas was caught offering to take six passengers from Henley to Reading for £60 without a pre-booking during a covert multi-agency operation involving Reading Council licensing enforcement officers.
Private hire drivers are legally required to take only pre-booked journeys. Accepting passengers from the street or a taxi rank is classed as plying for hire and breaches licensing conditions. It also means passengers are not covered by insurance in the event of an accident.
The Magistrates ruled that Reading Borough Council had acted correctly in revoking Mr Parvas’ licence and that there were no valid grounds to overturn the decision. The appeal was dismissed, and Mr Parvas was ordered to pay £700 towards the Council’s legal costs.
A Reading Borough Council spokesperson said the decision reinforces the importance of compliance with licensing rules designed to protect public safety.
Cllr Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: “This is an important result, and a strong message that illegal activity won’t be ignored.
“We take public safety seriously and won’t hesitate to act when drivers break the rules.
“Reading Licensing will continue to pursue illegal drivers to ensure that event visitors are kept safe, 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.”
