Taxi Driver's Appeal Dismissed After Using Illegal 'Ghost Plates'
A private hire taxi driver from the Midlands has lost his court appeal after his licence was revoked for using illegal 'ghost plates' on his vehicle. Aqeel Shakeel was discovered with the modified number plates during a routine vehicle inspection conducted on May 20 last year.
Council Investigation Uncovers Illegal Plates
City of Wolverhampton Council officials became suspicious during the inspection of Shakeel's Audi A4, noting that the 3D licence plate appeared to be a 'ghost plate.' To confirm their suspicions, council officers employed specialist digital night vision camera technology specifically designed to detect such modifications.
According to the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001, it is illegal to alter any characters on registration plates or apply materials that make plates retroreflective. These modified plates, commonly referred to as 'ghost plates,' obscure the characters' infra-red signature, preventing automatic number plate recognition cameras from accurately recording vehicle registration numbers.
Driver's Claims Rejected During Hearing
During the council's licence review hearing, Shakeel claimed he had purchased the vehicle with the licence plates already installed and was unaware they were illegal ghost plates. However, evidence presented at the hearing revealed the vehicle had previously failed an MOT test specifically due to the licence plates before subsequently passing a follow-up test.
The council's licensing officer suspected Shakeel had removed the illegal plates to pass the second MOT test and then reinstalled them afterward. Based on this evidence of dishonesty, the council revoked Shakeel's private hire licence with immediate effect.
Court Upholds Council Decision
Shakeel appealed the council's decision, but his appeal was dismissed at Dudley Magistrates' Court on January 16 this year. In addition to losing his private hire licence, Shakeel, of Countess Street in Walsall, was ordered to pay £1,923 in legal costs to Wolverhampton Council.
Council Officials Emphasize Public Safety
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, Wolverhampton's cabinet member for residents services, stated: "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," Gakhal added. "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, emphasized: "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," Russell continued. "We welcome government's progress in legislating against ghost plates and encourage all licensing authorities to ban them as soon as possible."
The case highlights Wolverhampton Council's commitment to maintaining high standards in the private hire industry and utilizing advanced technology to detect illegal vehicle modifications that compromise public safety.
