Hasan Saghir, 26, travelled 220 miles from his home to Shepton Mallet in Somerset on 6 February to collect the package, using his cab to blend in and evade detection.

The initiative aims to strike a balance between running costs for taxi operators and affordability for local passengers.

Thirty licensed vehicles were pulled over and inspected during the multi-agency crackdown involving Walsall Council, City of Wolverhampton Council and West Midlands Police.

The taxi driver immediately recognised the note was fake due to the way it felt in his hands. When questioned, the passenger handed over further notes which were also fake.

Partnering with tech firms Verne and Pony.ai, Uber announced the news on 14 October, following the launch of Europe’s first robotaxi service on the Uber app in Zagreb in August.