A Huddersfield man faces a two-year driving ban after being found guilty of driving a taxi without a valid licence.
Kirklees magistrates heard that Shahzad Akhtar, of Burfitts Road, Oakes, made 228 journeys after his licence expired, meaning his passengers would not be insured in the event of him having an accident. He was found guilty of driving a private hire vehicle without holding a valid private hire driving licence and driving passengers in a private hire vehicle without adequate insurance.
Prosecuting, Kirklees Council said that Akhtar carried out 228 jobs between March and May, 2016, after his licence had lapsed. The council licensing team gave evidence of eight separate specimen occasions when Akhtar drove without a valid private hire driver’s licence and without valid insurance.
He was found guilty of those offences and ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £520. He also received eight penalty points on his driving licence for each insurance offence, resulting in 64 points which, under the totting up rules, results in him being disqualified from driving for two years.
Clr Cathy Scott, chairman of Kirklees Licensing and Safety Committee, said: “When individuals like this flout the rules, the Licensing Team won’t hesitate to use the full force of the law to protect the public and the reputation of our legitimate taxi and private hire drivers.”
