Private hire vehicle driver caught plying-for-hire outside Arctic Monkeys gig fined for illegal £20 cash pick-up
A private hire driver has been fined for illegally picking up two undercover council officers outside an Arctic Monkeys concert at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.
Bilal Khan, of Manchester Road, Bury, admitted to offences that posed a risk to public safety in a case brought by Trafford Council’s Licensing Enforcement Team.
Khan was unlicensed and uninsured to accept fares at the roadside. He also failed to wear a driver’s badge when he offered a lift to the officers, who were part of an enforcement operation targeting illegal private hire activity.
Shortly before 10pm, the officers approached Khan’s Skoda Octavia, which was licensed with Manchester City Council, and asked for a three-mile journey into the city centre. Despite not having a pre-booking, Khan agreed to take them for £20 in cash.
After setting off, the officers identified themselves and instructed Khan to pull over. He later claimed he had planned to take them free of charge.
At Manchester Magistrates’ Court, Khan pleaded guilty to the charges. He was ordered to pay a total of £990, which included a £600 fine, a £240 surcharge, and £150 towards prosecution costs.
Cllr Rose Thompson, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Safety, said: “It’s very important that these rules are upheld for people’s safety. Private hire taxis must be pre-booked. This type of license does not allow drivers to pick up passengers who ask at the roadside.
“That means anyone getting in such a vehicle under these circumstances would be uninsured for the journey. Only hackney carriages, or black cabs, can be hailed down in the street.”
