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South Oxfordshire operator and driver ordered to pay nearly £4,000 after driver works on expired licence for over a year
A private hire operator and one of his drivers have been ordered to pay a combined £3,914 after admitting offences linked to the driver’s expired licence and invalid insurance.
Craig White, 57, who owns M40 Cars, and Robert Green, 65, appeared at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Friday 9 October 2026. Green pleaded guilty to driving a private hire vehicle without a licence and driving without insurance. White admitted employing an unlicensed driver and permitting a vehicle to be used without insurance.
The court heard that Green’s private hire driver’s licence expired in March 2025. He continued working for M40 Cars for about 14 months without completing an application for a replacement licence.
White, a licensed operator for more than 30 years, told investigators he regularly checked drivers’ documents. His last check of Green’s licence was in April 2025, after it had expired. He continued to employ Green until May 2026, when council licensing officers followed up on Green’s incomplete renewal application.
South Oxfordshire District Council said Green’s unlicensed status meant his insurance was invalid and did not cover journeys he made between March 2025 and May 2026. Green remains unlicensed to drive licensed vehicles.
Magistrates took both men’s early guilty pleas into account. White was fined £531 and ordered to pay a £212 victim surcharge and £1,526 in costs, totalling £2,269. Green was fined £461, with a £184 surcharge and £1,000 in costs, bringing his total to £1,645. Both men received six penalty points on their DVLA licences.
The council reminded operators to check that every driver holds a current licence before allocating work, retain records of expiry dates and stop using drivers whose licences have expired. Drivers are issued a badge and paper licence by the council; the badge must be worn while they are in control of a licensed vehicle and shown to an employer or member of the public on request.
The council said it was committed to ensuring that only properly vetted and authorised drivers operate in the district. Its statement included a request for suspected illegal taxi or driver activity to be reported to the Licensing Team, but did not provide a complete contact detail in the information supplied.
Cllr Georgina Heritage, Cabinet Member for Communities of South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “For more than a year, passengers got into a vehicle believing they were in safe hands. In fact, their driver was unlicensed and uninsured. Both men have held licences for many years and knew exactly what the rules were.
“We have a zero-tolerance approach towards operators who allow their employees to drive without a licence and for drivers who continue to drive when they are not licensed or insured to do so. Those who fail to check whether their drivers are licensed or carry on driving without a licence can expect us to take action, which may include reviewing or revoking their licences.”
