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Southampton licensed private hire driver fined £1,274 after illegally plying-for-hire in Reading
A private hire driver licensed by Southampton City Council has been ordered to pay £1,274 in fines and costs after being caught illegally plying for hire in West Reading.
Abdalgadar Yaqoub pleaded guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court on 18 September 2026 and was convicted of two offences relating to an incident earlier this year.
The case followed a test purchase operation carried out by Reading licensing officers during the early hours of 25 April 2026.
Officers approached Yaqoub’s private hire vehicle on Belmont Road and asked for a journey to Dee Road in Tilehurst. He agreed to take them despite the journey not having been booked in advance.
Private hire drivers can only undertake journeys that have been booked through a licensed private hire operator. Unlike licensed taxis, private hire vehicles cannot legally ply for hire or accept passengers directly from the street.
The court heard that Yaqoub’s Southampton private hire licence only entitled him to undertake pre-booked journeys. Accepting the unbooked fare also meant the journey was not covered by the required insurance arrangements.
Yaqoub pleaded guilty to using a motor vehicle without insurance, contrary to sections 143(1)(a) and 143(2) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and plying for hire contrary to section 45 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847.
For the insurance offence, Yaqoub was fined £553 and received six penalty points on his driving licence. No separate penalty was imposed for the plying-for-hire offence.
He was also ordered to pay a £221 victim surcharge and £500 towards prosecution costs, taking the total financial penalty to £1,274.
A private hire driver must have the required booking in place before undertaking the journey, irrespective of whether a passenger approaches the vehicle directly.
Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: “The safety of our travelling public is of paramount importance.
“Customers are entitled to trust the person driving is properly vetted, authorised, checked, and licensed. Illegal taxi rides pose significant risks, allowing 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. Unlicensed drivers will always be robustly dealt with to maintain public confidence and ensure safety in our nighttime economy.”
