Metropolitan Police Service Roads and Transport team have caught a London licensed private hire driver operating without valid insurance.
The white Toyota Prius was pulled over by the CabsUnit team on Thursday 6 February, where the driver's details were thoroughly checked.
It then came to light that the vehicle was not insured to operate as a private hire car. Further checks with the insurance company revealed the vehicle had not been covered since October 2019.
Using social media to highlight the serious incident, @MPSRTPC wrote: "#CabsUnit have stopped and seized this @TfLTPH PHV for no insurance in @MPSWestminster. Enquiries with @DriveInsured revealed the direct debit was cancelled in October 2019. Vehicle seized and driver reported #VisionZero."
The findings have sparked debate over which private hire operator the driver was working with and the responsibility on their behalf to monitor all drivers' insurance status.
Concerns over how many uninsured journeys have been taken by this particular driver has brought up recent safety failures by ride-sharing firm Uber, who were refused an operating licence in the capital because a number of unlicensed drivers were able to gain acces to the driver platform and undertake trips.
Details on who the driver was working for and how many uninsured trips were undertaken are yet to be released.
Image credit: Twitter - @MPSRTPC
