Two private hire drivers fined after illegal pick‑ups in Reading

Two private hire drivers have been prosecuted after illegally picking up passengers without bookings during council test‑purchase operations in Reading.

The offences took place outside the Grosvenor Casino on Queens Road and in the town centre, where Reading Borough Council’s licensing team carried out covert checks. Both drivers were convicted, receiving more than £2,500 in combined fines and costs.

In one case, Shafqat Ali, 42, of Faringdon Road, agreed to take an undercover officer to Wokingham for £60 without a prior booking. The practice, known as plying for hire, is unlawful for private hire drivers, who may only accept pre‑booked journeys. Passengers in such circumstances are also uninsured.

Mr Ali was found guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court on 1 May 2026 of plying for hire and driving without insurance. He was fined £180, ordered to pay £500 in costs and a £72 victim surcharge, and given eight penalty points. With a previous six‑point endorsement, he was disqualified from driving for six months.

A separate operation in June 2025 led to action against Amit Malik, a Wokingham‑licensed private hire driver, who agreed to take an officer to Market Place in Wokingham for £35 without a booking. He was fined £225 for plying for hire and £594 for driving without insurance at a hearing on 11 May 2026. He must also pay a £328 victim surcharge and £1,640 in prosecution costs, and received eight penalty points.

Councillor John Ennis, Reading Borough Council’s lead member for climate strategy and transport, said public safety and trust in licensed taxis were “of paramount importance”, adding that unlicensed activity would be “robustly dealt with” to protect passengers and the night‑time economy.