Taxi Drivers Fined, Banned for Illegal Operations in York, Reading

Two taxi drivers in England have been fined and sanctioned for unlawfully accepting fares without pre-bookings in separate undercover operations. In York, Zaid Saleem, licensed with Wolverhampton and Leeds Councils, pleaded guilty to unlawfully plying for hire after accepting a fare from licensing officers and was ordered to pay over £3,000 in fines and costs. Leeds and Wolverhampton councils were notified to review Saleem’s status as a 'fit and proper' driver. In Reading, Talal Bin Mumtaz Raja, holding a South Oxfordshire hackney carriage licence, was caught operating while his licences were suspended and accepting an unbooked fare, resulting in fines, over £1,000 in costs, and a six-month driving ban. Both cases highlight the risks to public safety when drivers operate outside the law and emphasize that only properly licensed and pre-booked journeys are insured and legal. Local officials stressed that such enforcement actions are necessary to protect compliant drivers and maintain public trust in taxi services.