Salford City Council secure conviction against private hire driver

Salford licensed private hire driver pleads guilty for the offence of illegally plying for hire relating to July 2023 offence
Ordered to pay £400 in fines, £1,200 in costs and a victim surcharge of £160
Salford City Council regards criminal offences committed by licensees whilst working as taxi and private hire drivers as extremely serious, particularly the offence of illegally plying for hire

A Salford licensed private hire driver, Mr Arif Mohammad, has pleaded guilty at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court following a complaint from a member of the public, which Salford City Council Licensing Service investigated.
The complainant reported that Mr Mohammad had overcharged her for a private hire journey having attended a concert at Bolton Stadium. Following the event, the complainant had approached Mr Mohammad’s private hire vehicle and asked if he could take her and three other people to a hotel. Mr Mohammad agreed to the journey without there being a booking in place with a private hire operator. The law requires that all private hire journeys are booked through a private hire operator. Failure to do so can result in the driver’s motor insurance being invalid.  
When interviewed in respect of the suspected offence, Mr Arif Mohammad admitted offering the journey without a booking through a private hire operator, describing it as a “big mistake”, stating he was “very sorry”.  
Salford City Council is responsible for regulating taxi and private hire drivers licensed with the authority. Criminal offences committed by licensees whilst working as taxi and private hire drivers are regarded as extremely serious, particularly the offence of illegally plying for hire. The offence can lead to a licence being suspended or revoked or an application to renew the licence being refused. 
Mr Arif Mohammad has been ordered to pay £400 in fines, £1,200 in costs and a victim surcharge of £160. The offence related to a breach of:

The Town and Police Clauses Act 1847

With its commitment to building a fairer, greener, healthier and more inclusive city for all, Salford City Council Licensing Service will continue to work with licensees to support safe and high quality taxi and private hire services, taking enforcement action where necessary. 
Councillor Barbara Bentham, Salford City Council’s Lead Member for Neighbourhoods, Environment and Community Safety said: “Taxi and private hire services are an important part of the transport network, and we thank all of our licensees that operate to a safe and high standard. Drivers have a duty to operate in accordance with the law and the conditions of their licence and the authority will not hesitate to take enforcement action where necessary. As a reminder, a private hire vehicle must always be booked through a licensed operator.”