A black cab driver who charged a Manchester United fan nearly double what the fare should have cost has been made to pay hundreds of pounds.
Mandeep Singh was caught after overcharging the Manchester United fan who had travelled from Ireland and was heading to dinner with his son the night before the match.
On March 1, the fan and his son checked in to Hotel Football near Old Trafford, with the Red Devils playing Fulham at home the following day.
The father and son were heading into the city centre for food and got into Singh’s Hackney Carriage after they spotted him waiting in the rank on Sir Matt Busby Way.
During the journey, the complainant noticed the meter was not turned on but trusted that Singh, 43, would charge him appropriately.
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However, when they pulled up outside the Hawksmoor steakhouse on Deansgate, Singh asked for £15 despite the roads having been quiet.
Although he was shocked, the complainant paid up to avoid missing his restaurant reservation, but he would later report the matter to Trafford Council’s Licensing Enforcement Team.
During an interview at Trafford Town Hall, Singh, of Mellor Street, Stretford, said that the fare should have been about £8 and that he should have used the meter but "forgot" to do so.
However, Trafford Council officers calculated that the fare was 92 per cent higher than it should have been, according to the council’s Table of Fares for Hackney Carriages.
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At Manchester Magistrates' Court on Friday, November 28, Singh was found guilty of failing to engage his meter and charging more than the legal fare.
He received a fine of £440 plus a £176 victim surcharge and £180 towards costs, bringing his total costs to £796.
Cllr Rose Thompson, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Safety said: “We are pleased that the customer brought this matter to our attention.
"This case shows that the public and the Council will not tolerate behaviour that does not meet the required standards, from anyone who is licenced to trade in Trafford.
“Trafford’s Hackney Carriages play a vital role in transporting customers and this activity undermines the hard work and consideration that our drivers give every day.”
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