Newsroom Archive

Earlier this month, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Public Protection officers, posing as customers in Madeley, Newport and Telford town centre, tried to get into private hire vehicles that they hadn’t booked.

Half of the eight drivers approached during the operation refused to take the unbooked fares, the other half accepted them. These matters are now being investigated by Licensing Officers.  

Meanwhile, earlier this month at Shropshire Magistrates, sitting in Telford, a Go Carz private hire driver admitted plying for hire earlier this year in Newport High Street. 

Yaw Mensah, of Bembridge, Brookside, was fined £500 for plying for hire  and given six penalty points. He also admitted driving without insurance, for which the court imposed no separate penalty. He was also ordered to pay costs of £240.

The court heard he pulled his Vauxhall Zafira up in the bus stiop at the side of the road at 11.24pm and two council officers got into the car. Mr Mensah agreed to take them to a pre-arranged location and took an upfront payment of £7.10.

At no point did he make any attempt to book the journey. He was then stopped by a marked police car and was cautioned.

Cllr Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Enforcement, said: The findings of this latest exercise are very serious and serve as a timely reminder as Christmas approaches to follow these simple but important rules when you need a lift home.

•Always pre book your private hire vehicle or use a licensed taxi known as a Hackney Carriage that you can either hail in the street, pre-book  or pick up at a taxi rank. It is illegal for a private hire vehicle to take an unbooked fare and if it’s not booked the vehicle may not be insured and the details of your journey cannot be traced. 

•Know where Taxi ranks and private hire pick up and drop points are

•Look for the drivers badge as this must be worn at all times.  The badge has a photograph of the driver on and is issued by the council to licensed drivers once they have passed all the checks. If they are not wearing it – ask to see it to make sure that the driver is the licensed person.

•If you book via an app or ring using your mobile phone you can then forward your booking confirmation text a friend or relative so they know how you are getting home.”

Taxi marshals are on duty at Red Oak Car park in the Telford’s Town Centre on the following nights to help you get to your pre-booked vehicle or direct you to the taxi rank:

•Saturday 22nd /Sunday 23rd December

•Wednesday 26th/Thursday 27th December

•Saturday 29th /Sunday 30th December

•Monday 31st  December/Tuesday 1st January