A man illegally caught carrying out Private Hire Taxi work without a valid licence in Beaconsfield has been fined after pleading guilty.

Mohammed Ejaz Sabir, 43 of Blackwater Drive, Aylesbury appeared at Wycombe Magistrates Court on Wednesday 9th October, charged with driving a Private Hire vehicle without a Private Hire driver’s licence, contrary to section 46(1) (b) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

The court heard that Mr Sabir drove a vehicle in Beaconsfield displaying a Private Hire taxi plate issued by Aylesbury Vale District Council, which had expired some four months earlier. The driver was also witnessed by a Bucks County Council officer transporting children to school as part of a school transport contract on behalf of an Aylesbury-based private hire company. Subsequent checks revealed that Mr Sabir did not hold a current Private Hire Drivers Licence, nor did he have authorisation from Bucks County Council to fulfil the school contract.

Mr Sabir told the court that he is not currently working and was fined on the lower scale, amounting to £180, which was then reduced by one third to £120. The costs amounted to £2,164.68, which the court considered to be fair and the costs were awarded in full. They also levied the victim surcharge, which amounted to £30. In total, Mr Sabir was ordered to pay £2,314.68.

South Bucks District Councillor Patrick Hogan, Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities said: “We take the safety of people using taxis in South Bucks very seriously and we require the highest standards from the taxi drivers.

“The licensing rules are there to keep the public safe and we take any breach of them very seriously. When individuals like this flout the rules, the Licensing team won’t hesitate to use the full force of the law to protect the public and the reputation of our legitimate Taxi and Private Hire drivers. We don’t want residents and visitors to get into a vehicle with a driver who is not properly licensed and checked.”