Two private hire drivers have been prosecuted after being caught illegally picking up passengers in Darlington town centre. Both drivers were captured on CCTV operating without the required pre-bookings, in violation of private hire regulations.
Private hire vehicles are legally restricted to pre-arranged fares. They cannot be hailed in the street or use taxi ranks. Despite this, both drivers were observed engaging in unlawful activity earlier this year.
Beniamin Benali, 60, pleaded guilty to illegally plying for hire. CCTV footage from February showed Benali picking up a man in Tubwell Row after the passenger handed over cash. Benali admitted the offence but argued in court that he was trying to assist the individual. He was given a conditional discharge for one year, ordered to pay £75 in costs and a £26 victim surcharge.
In a separate case, Liviu Oros, 53, was found guilty in his absence of similar offences. Oros was captured on CCTV picking up passengers without a booking in Skinnergate. Further investigation revealed that his insurance only covered pre-booked fares. Oros was fined £1,320, with £150 in costs and a £528 victim surcharge. He also received six penalty points on his licence.
Both prosecutions serve as a reminder of the legal obligations on private hire drivers and the risks of non-compliance.
Councillor Amanda Riley, the council's cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “Those illegally plying for hire undermines the trust and safety placed upon the licensed taxi trade, and I’d like to thank our control room operators for their vigilance in spotting these incidents.
“Our licensing team will act upon any information it receives and I hope these convictions send out a message to those people who wish to operate outside the law that we will seek prosecutions to protect the public and the legitimate taxi trade.”
