Private hire driver fined £2,500

Source: Asian News
A Private hire driver who tried to pick up revellers following one of this summer’s Oasis concerts at Heaton Park has been ordered to pay more than £2,500.

Biswajit Pal, aged 44, of Farrant Road in Longsight, was found guilty in his absence after failing to turn up to a hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, December 16.

He was fined £500 for the plying-for-hire offence, £1,000 for having no insurance and £1,066.11 costs with a £15 victims of crime surcharge – a total of £2,581.

Private hire journeys have to be pre-booked through an operator and are not insured if a driver stops to pick up passengers on the street without a booking.

Pal also received eight penalty points on his driving licence for the offence, and will now have to appear before a Manchester City Council licensing panel, for them to review whether he is a fit and proper person to drive private hire vehicles.

Council licensing officers spotted Pal pull over to pick up two female passengers on Middleton Road, following the concert on Sunday, June 7, and offer to take them into the city centre for £20 – around twice the normal rate.

The officer then identified himself to the driver and the two women walked away, saying they thought the driver was trying to rip them off.

Councillor Richard Cowell, Manchester City Council’s executive member for the environment, said: “This summer’s Oasis concerts saw 70,000 leave Heaton Park each night, and unfortunately there were taxi drivers who attempted to exploit people as they tried to get home.

“Our licensing officers were out in force during each of the nights looking out for private hire drivers who were trying to illegally pick people up from the street – meaning passengers wouldn’t have been insured if the vehicle was involved in an accident.

“This case should reassure residents that we do prosecute illegal drivers who operate with no regard for their customers’ safety, and should also serve as a warning to any private hire drivers who want to risk receiving a large fine for the sake of a fare.

“Over the Christmas period we expect demand for taxis and private hire vehicles to be high and we would encourage the public to plan their journeys. If people are intending to use private hire vehicles please book them in advance so the vehicles and drivers are fully insured. Black cab taxis can be picked up in the city at taxi ranks or hailed in the street.”

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