A Reading private hire driver has been banned from driving for four months and ordered to pay more than £2,000 in fines and costs after being caught illegally plying for hire in the town centre.
According to Reading Borough Council, Mr Ram Sah, from Reading, appeared before Reading Magistrates’ Court on 20 October 2025, following an incident that took place on 14 February 2025.
Council licensing officers were carrying out routine enforcement checks near the Pentahotel on Oxford Road when Mr Sah approached two officers and offered his services as a taxi — despite not being permitted to take bookings without them being pre-arranged through his licensed private hire operator.
The court heard that such behaviour breaches private hire licensing laws, which require all bookings to be made through an operator rather than directly with the driver.
Mr Sah was disqualified from driving for four months and ordered to pay £2,185, including fines, court costs, and a victim surcharge.
A Reading Borough Council spokesperson said that the local authority “will continue to take firm action against drivers who put public safety at risk by ignoring the law”.
DM News Commentary
Illegal plying for hire remains one of the most common offences faced by private hire drivers in towns and cities across the UK. Such cases highlight the importance of understanding the difference between taxi and private hire regulations — especially in mixed-fleet areas like Reading where enforcement operations are frequent.
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