Police notify TfL of private hire driver being investigated over possible fraud offences
Updated: Jan 11, 2021
A Transport for London licensed private hire driver is under investigation for possible fraud offences under Section 44 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994.
Surrey's Road Policing Unit stopped the driver in question when realising the vehicle number plate being used had illegally spaced characters.
On further inspection and checks taken out roadside, officers found additional offences, forcing them to seize the plates and notify TfL for additional action and sanctions to be issued to the driver.
Section 44 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 states:
”A person is guilty of an offence if he forges, fraudulently alters, fraudulently uses, fraudulently lends or fraudulently allows to be used by another person anything to which applies... [to a number of registration based documents]"
A person found guilty of such an offence is liable to: "on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, and on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or (except in Scotland) to both".
On a Twitter post highlighting the incident, Surrey Roads Policing Unit (@SurreyRoadCops) said: "This private hire vehicle was stopped for an illegally spaced number plate.
"The driver received a £100 fine. We also found additional offences so seized the plates and TfL will be notified for additional action/sanctions."
Surrey's Road Policing Unit has confirmed to TaxiPoint that an investigation is currently underway, which is why more details on which offences have taken place are yet to be released.
