Experienced taxi driver caught offering rides illegally during Henley Regatta
19 December 2024
A taxi driver has been ordered to pay more than £2,000 and had six penalty points added to his licence after plying for hire illegally during Henley Regatta.
On Friday 13 December, Muhammad Naeem, of Terryfield Road, High Wycombe, was convicted in his absence after he failed to attend Oxfordshire Magistrates’ Court.
Magistrates heard how, on the evening of 5 July 2024, licensing officers from South Oxfordshire District Council were carrying out checks in Henley-on-Thames when they spotted a grey Toyota Auris, in a prominent location for picking passengers leaving the Regatta, displaying a Buckinghamshire Council licence plate.
A test purchase was carried out, during which the driver, identified as Mr Naeem, agreed to take the undercover officers to Reading for £60 without a prior booking.
Mr Naeem was not licensed by South Oxfordshire District Council, meaning he was not authorised to ply for hire in the district. He was also only licensed with Buckinghamshire Council as a private hire driver and his vehicle was only insured for pre-booked journeys, with his policy specifically excluding public hire.
Having held licences since at least 2017, including previously in South Oxfordshire, Mr Naeem would have been fully aware of the different rules governing private hire and plying for hire. His decision to charge an inflated fare also highlighted his intent for personal gain.
During an interview under caution on 5 August, Mr Naeem admitted to agreeing to the fare and acknowledged his mistake. He confirmed that his actions had invalidated his insurance policy.
Magistrates fined Mr Naeem £660 for illegally plying for hire and other related offences. In addition, his DVLA licence has been endorsed with six penalty points. He has also been ordered to pay £1,092 in costs and a victim surcharge of £260, bringing the total to £2,012 to be paid within 28 days.
Henley Regatta is persistently targeted by unlicensed drivers from outside the area with 17 successfully prosecuted over the last three years. More court hearings are listed to take place over the next few months.
Cllr Georgina Heritage, Cabinet Member for Communities at South Oxfordshire District Council said: “Our primary concern is the safety of the public. Offering taxi rides illegally poses a significant risk as it allows unvetted drivers to pick up passengers in untraceable and often uninsured journeys. These activities undermine the licensing system, compromise safety and deprive legitimate taxi drivers of work. This conviction sends a clear message that illegal taxi operations will not be tolerated in South Oxfordshire.”
For more information about licensing regulations, please visit: southoxon.gov.uk
Notes to editors:
This prosecution was brought by South Oxfordshire District Council under Section 45 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and Section 54 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.
The district council’s licensing enforcement team works to ensure public safety by regulating taxi services within the district and taking action against illegal operators.
