
A taxi driver who continued working for a month after his licence was suspended, including transporting vulnerable children to and from school, has been ordered to pay £1,924 and given eight penalty points.
Tariq Mehmood, 48, of Reading, was found guilty in his absence at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on 16 October 2026. He had denied three offences: driving a licensed hackney carriage without a valid driver's licence, driving without insurance, and failing to return his council-issued badge.
Mr Mehmood had been licensed by South Oxfordshire District Council since May 2023. However, after his subscription to the DBS Update Service lapsed, the council suspended his licence in December 2024.
Despite this, he continued working between 9 December 2024 and 8 January 2025 doing school transport runs, invalidating his insurance and unlawfully retaining his driver badge.
The council uncovered his unauthorised work following an altercation at a school, which was not named in court.
District Judge Sharma ordered Mr Mehmood to pay a £660 fine, a £264 victim surcharge, and £1,000 in council costs.
The local authority confirmed he is no longer licensed to drive taxis or private hire vehicles in the district.
Cllr Georgina Heritage, Cabinet Member for Communities at South Oxfordshire District Council, emphasised that licensing checks ensure passengers remain in safe hands.
She stated: "When Mr Mehmood’s lapsed, we suspended his licence and he knew he could no longer work, but he kept on driving, leaving his passengers, including vulnerable children, uninsured and at risk. When we take a driver off the road, they must stay off it, and anyone who continues driving can expect to face prosecution."

The area, located in the Square Mile, was previously restricted to pedestrians, buses,and cyclists between 7am and 7pm on weekdays, with taxis barred from entry.

According to the Northampton Telegraph, the boy had been in the local taxi with a group of friends when an argument broke out between him and the driver. 

The surge in hackney carriage applications was highlighted during an Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting on 26 October, where councillors reviewed the local authority’s latest financial performance.

In a recent interview Khan argued that politicians have failed to grasp the sheer speed of technological change and insisted that TfL must be granted direct licensing powers to cap vehicle numbers. 

Under the new structure, basic flag fall rates will rise: with Tariff One moving from £3.50 to £3.90, Tariff Two increasing from £4.10 to £4.60, and Tariff Three jumping from £5.60 to £6.20. 

Violent passenger, Alexander Hindmarsh, who threatened to stab a cabbie in the face and cut out his eyeballs during a terrifying knifepoint attack has been jailed for more than seven years. 

Taxi Law has published research showing that approximately £1.1bn a year could be raised by applying VAT uniformly to private hire fares across the UK.

A long-serving private hire driver has failed in his bid to regain his licence following an alleged sexual assault, despite assuring councillors that police dropped the case without charge.

Mo Ali, a local cabbie, revealed that the problem has escalated sharply in recent weeks, warning that passengers have been spotted carrying bags packed with counterfeit notes. 

Lindsay Scott appeared before Workington’s Magistrates’ Court, where she formally admitted three separate offences stemming from the events of 31 August. 

The victim was targeted while working on Anchor Road at around 4am on Saturday, 20 September, when a group of unknown individuals hurled racial slurs at him before launching a physical attack. 

Mr Nirupakaran previously faced committee scrutiny in May after receiving nine points on his DVLA licence for striking a pedestrian while driving at night in 2023.

The plans would increase fares by approximately 6% for taxis carrying up to four passengers and 8.6% for larger vehicles carrying five to eight passengers.

A Manchester-licensed Hackney Carriage driver has been fined and handed EIGHT penalty points after illegally accepting a fare outside his licensing area following a Manchester United match.

Working alongside licensing enforcement officers from Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Newport and Wolverhampton councils, officers uncovered a number of licensing and vehicle compliance issues.

The driver was caught by Liverpool City Council enforcement officers during an operation in March.

A Peterborough private hire operator is putting community spirit into action by supporting a lifesaving charity.

No further details have been disclosed about the nature of the allegations, the drivers’ identities or the police intelligence involved.

Applicants will no longer have to answer questions about the quickest or most efficient routes, with the council arguing that modern sat-nav technology makes this element of the test unnecessary.

Joshua Stack, 25, from Stafford, was over the drink-drive limit when his vehicle crossed into the opposite lane in January 2024, colliding with an oncoming Toyota Avensis taxi.
