A private hire driver has been ordered to pay a £760 fine following a successful prosecution by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Licensing and Enforcement Officers. Gareth Matthews who traded as Pickles Private Hire, appeared before Merthyr Magistrates’ Court last month and pleaded guilty to offences linked to the use of an unlicensed vehicle for commercial passenger journeys. Matthews was a licensed private hire driver and operator, but only for a single small vehicle. The court heard that Matthews used a larger privately owned people carrier to undertake airport transfers for paying passengers, despite that vehicle not being licensed by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council. Officers said the vehicle also gave the impression of being properly licensed, creating a risk that members of the public could be misled about its legal status.