Taxi Driver Online

Not often Wolverhampton issues press releases on the council website like this, particularly in view of the number of cars and drivers it licences

But, of course, that's no doubt related to its, er, slightly leftfield approach to compliance, enforcement and PR as compared to more mainstream licensing authorities...

And I suspect that, compared to the numbers, they don't get appealed in court very often.


Taxi driver loses court appeal against loss of licence in council crackdown on ghost plates

https://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/news/t ... ost-plates

A taxi driver has lost his court appeal against City of Wolverhampton Council revoking his private hire licence over the use of illegal ghost plates.

Black Country Magistrates Court dismissed Aqeel Shakeel’s appeal against the council’s decision after he was found with ghost plates on his Audi A4.

As well as losing his licence he was also ordered to pay £1,923 legal costs to the council.

Shakeel, aged 45, of Countess Street, Walsall, had attended the council’s offices on 20 May, 2025 for a vehicle inspection.

It was suspected the 3D licence plate on the vehicle was a ghost plate and the council’s inspector used a specialist digital night vision camera to confirm this.

Under the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001, it is illegal to alter any characters or apply or use material which makes the plate retroreflective.

As the characters’ infra-red signature are obscured, commonly referred to as ghost plates, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, such as those used in bus lane and speed cameras, are prevented from accurately recording a vehicle’s registration number.

Shakeel attended a council licence review hearing and claimed he had purchased the vehicle with the licence plates already installed and was unaware they were ghost plates.

It was established in the hearing the vehicle had previously failed an MOT test due to the licence plates, before subsequently passing it.

The council’s officer suspected Shakeel removed the plates to pass the follow up MOT, replacing them afterwards and his licence was revoked with immediate effect for dishonesty.

Shakeel appealed against this decision to Black Country Magistrates’ Court, however the court dismissed his appeal on 16 January, 2026.

Following the outcome of the case Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, Cabinet Member for Residents Services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: "We take our licensing responsibilities seriously and our officers take proactive action in Wolverhampton and across the country - wherever our drivers work - supporting and carrying out regular operations with partners to protect the public and ensure they travel in safety.

“Wolverhampton also leads the way as the first council investing in state-of-the-art technology including specialist cameras to deter and detect ghost plates.

“The council will always take robust action when drivers fail to meet the high standards expected of them.”

Councillor Zee Russell, Chair of the Council’s Regulatory Committee, said, “Public safety is our top priority. The use of modified or misleading number plates poses a serious risk by concealing vehicle identity and undermining the integrity of the licensed trade.

“The council has completely banned all 3D licence plates so there is no excuse for taxi drivers found driving vehicles with them installed.

“We welcome government’s progress in legislating against ghost plates and encourage all licensing authorities to ban them as soon as possible."

Members of the public are encouraged to report any concerns about licensed vehicles or drivers to the Council’s Licensing Compliance Team via Taxi Driver Complaints, Compliments and Suggestions | City Of Wolverhampton Council

Released: Monday 16th March, 2026

Interesting as regards the inspection and MoT process, though.

I wonder if the council inspection was one that was routinely required?

But, whatever, I'd guess that a few years previously he wouldn't have been inspected by the council at all. So to that extent a few years earlier he'd have probably got away with it, because all he would have done is present the vehicle to the council with a new MoT pass and, voila, it's plated

So the press release is once again being used by the council to portray itself in terms of the usual 'safety is paramount' schtick. But, in reality, it demonstrates that Wolverhampton's historical appoach has been to prioritise the licence factory over public safety

I'm not a fan of those plates, as we all know why they are there.

But I'm not sure it's that serious an offence, on its own, for a driver to lose their license.

_________________
IDFIMH

Maybe if he'd held his hands up and admitted he was in the wrong, he'd have gotten away with a slapped wrist, Sussex.

But he claimed he'd bought the car not knowing it had the ghost plates, while the MoT records while he owned the car suggested otherwise

Oh what tangled webs we weave...