A Southampton-licensed private hire driver has been ordered to pay £1,274 and given six penalty points after accepting a journey without a booking in West Reading.
Reading Borough Council says the driver pleaded guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court on 18 September 2026 to plying for hire and using a vehicle without insurance.
Undercover officers requested a journey
The case followed a council test purchase operation in the early hours of 25 April. Licensing officers approached the vehicle on Belmont Road, and the driver agreed to take them to Dee Road in Tilehurst without the required prior booking.
How the £1,274 total was made up
- £553 fine for the insurance offence
- £221 victim surcharge
- £500 towards prosecution costs
No separate penalty was imposed for plying for hire. The driver also received six points for the insurance offence.
The case is a reminder that holding a private hire licence does not permit street pickups. Reading’s licensing guidance says private hire vehicles must be booked in advance and cannot be hailed from the street.
Sources: PHTM report; Reading Borough Council statement; council private hire guidance.
Image: AI-generated Fare101 news illustration, not a photograph of the driver or incident.