TWO Burntwood men have been prosecuted after being caught operating an unlicensed taxi.
It came after officers from Lichfield District Council stopped a vehicle in the town in January 2024.
After finding a vulnerable passenger in the back of the car, it was discovered that both they and their carer who booked the journey had been duped into believing it was a genuine taxi – but the vehicle was uninsured and neither the car nor the driver held taxi licences.
An investigation discovered that BP Cars, an operator licensed by the council, had knowingly passed jobs to the driver.
The taxi operator licence for the company was suspended and later revoked fully.
Both the driver and operator pleaded guilty to offences relating to the incident at Cannock Magistrates’ Court this week.
Craig Matthews, 54 and of Coppice Lane, was given six points on his driving licence and a 12 month conditional discharge. He was also ordered to pay costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £26.
The operator, 77-year-old Brian Peasley of New Plant Lane and trading as BP Cars, was also given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay costs of £100 and a victim surcharge of £26.
Cabinet member Cllr Alex Farrell said:
“This scam saw passengers, including the vulnerable, being taken on journeys in an unlicensed and uninsured vehicle that had not met the safety standards required of a taxi and by a driver who was unlicensed and had therefore not had criminal record or medical fitness checks.
“Both men now have a criminal record and will not be able to obtain a taxi licence in the UK.
“Taxi drivers and operators hold considerable responsibility and we expect the very highest of standards from them.”