Suspended dual licensed taxi driver banned and fined after illegally plying for work out-of-area
- Perry Richardson
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 28
A South Oxfordshire licensed private hire and hackney carriage driver has been banned from driving for six months and ordered to pay over £1,000 after operating in Reading while suspended and unlawfully accepting a fare without a booking.
Talal Bin Mumtaz Raja was found guilty of four offences at Reading Magistrates’ Court on 7 April 2025.
The court heard that on 23 March 2024, Reading licensing officers carried out an undercover operation. Outside the Penta Hotel on Oxford Road, they flagged down Mr Raja’s vehicle. He agreed to take an officer to Tilehurst for a £12 fare, despite no prior booking being made.
Although Mr Raja holds a hackney carriage licence, this only permits him to accept unbooked fares within the area he is licensed. His actions in Reading breached this condition.
Further checks with South Oxfordshire District Council confirmed that Mr Raja’s driving and vehicle licences were suspended at the time. The suspension followed his failure to complete compulsory disability awareness training.
Magistrates imposed fines totalling £700 for plying for hire and driving without insurance. Mr Raja was also ordered to pay £1,000 in court costs and a £280 victim surcharge. The court imposed a six-month driving ban.
Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: “This is the second successful prosecution of a taxi driver illegally plying for hire in Reading in just a few weeks, thanks to the hard work of Reading’s Licensing team.
“This result emphasises our message that behaviour of this kind will not be tolerated. Private Hire and Hackney Carriage customers are entitled to trust that the person driving is properly vetted, authorised, checked, and licensed.
“Unlicensed drivers undermining that trust will be robustly dealt with to maintain public confidence and ensure safety.
“I hope this and the other recent successful prosecutions serve as a deterrent to drivers who are tempted to work opportunistically and outside of the law in Reading.”
