Private hire driver guilty of breaching licensing laws
A private hire driver has been prosecuted after twice breaching licensing laws earlier this year.
On 8 November at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court, Norman Reay from Andover pleaded guilty to accepting a booking on 18 May from a firm not licensed to operate in Test Valley. This meant that he undertook work without the relevant operator licence. Mr Reay also pleaded guilty to failing to provide details of the private hire operator he was working for following a request from Test Valley Borough Council’s licensing department. He was ordered to pay a £40 fine, £30 victim surcharge and £50 costs.
Corporate portfolio holder, Councillor Maureen Flood, said: “Our primary licensing duty is to ensure the safety of the public and thus we will pursue court action if people flout the law. This is not an approach we take lightly but we must ensure the safety of the public.”