A PRIVATE hire driver has been handed a four-month driving ban and fines of more than £2,000 after he was caught plying for hire illegally in Reading.
Ram Sah, of Cholmeley Terrace, Reading, was given the fines and driving ban at a hearing at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Monday, October 20.
At Reading Magistrates Court, Mr Sah was found guilty of the offences of Plying for Hire and using a motor vehicle without insurance.
He was fined £200 and ordered to pay £2,210 in costs, as well as a surcharge of £80.
His disqualification from driving is immediate and lasts for four months.
It comes after an incident in February, when Mr Sah was approached by two licensing officers from Reading Borough Council at the Pentahotel on Oxford Road.
Mr Sah offered to illegally transport the officers to Gatwick Airport for a fee of £100 without the required prior booking.
Private Hire fares must be pre-booked otherwise passengers are not covered by insurance in the case of an accident.
When the officers made themselves known to Mr Sah, he drove away without warning, with the door of his vehicle still open, which narrowly missed one of the officers.
Cllr Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: “Thanks to Reading’s proactive Licensing team, another driver choosing to flout the rules and ultimately risk putting others in danger has been caught.
“Covert operations like this one will continue, pursuing illegal drivers to ensure standards of our licensed trade are kept high, and customers can have confidence they are having a safe, legal journey by a properly licensed and vetted driver.”
