NEWCASTLE TAXI DRIVER FINED FOR ILLEGALLY PICKING UP FARES IN STOKE

A Newcastle-under-Lyme licensed taxi driver has been prosecuted and fined after illegally picking up passengers outside his permitted district in Stoke-on-Trent.

Dilshad Ahmed, from Longton, committed the offence on 26 December 2025 at a temporary match day taxi pick-up point at Trentham Lakes.

As a hackney carriage driver licensed by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Mr Ahmed was legally restricted to picking up street hails or rank passengers strictly within his own licensing zone.

By taking a fare from a taxi rank in Stoke-on-Trent, he was unlawfully plying for hire outside his district, an action that automatically invalidated his vehicle insurance. He also failed to use his taxi meter for the journey, choosing instead to charge the customer an upfront fee.

Mr Ahmed appeared before magistrates at North Staffordshire Justice Centre, where he pleaded guilty to the licensing breach.

The court originally fined him £325 and ordered him to pay £851.92 in costs to Stoke-on-Trent City Council, with the fine subsequently reduced to £250 in recognition of his guilty plea.

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