“AN IMPULSE THING”: Two out-of-area taxi drivers fined after illegal pick-ups at major Manchester sporting events
- Perry Richardson
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
Two out-of-area Hackney Carriage drivers have been fined after being caught illegally plying for hire during high-profile cricket and football events in Manchester, following a targeted enforcement operation by Trafford Council.
The prosecutions relate to incidents outside Emirates Old Trafford during an England v India international cricket match and near Old Trafford football stadium ahead of a Manchester United pre-season fixture. Both cases were heard at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on 2 April, where the drivers admitted the offences.
On 25 July, Trafford Council Licensing Enforcement officers were on patrol as crowds gathered for the international cricket match at Emirates Old Trafford. Shortly after 10am on Talbot Road, officers observed a white Hackney Carriage licensed by Manchester City Council displaying its ‘taxi’ sign as available for hire.
The driver, Aamar Shahzad Ahmed, 47, agreed to take the undercover officers into Manchester city centre before being stopped and challenged. Ahmed later told the court that accepting the fare had been “an impulse thing”. He pleaded guilty to unlicensed plying for hire, driving without appropriate insurance and failing to wear his driver identification badge.
Trafford Council enforcement officers targeted illegal taxi activity around Emirates Old Trafford and Manchester United fixtures
Ahmed was fined £346, ordered to pay a £138 surcharge and £100 in costs, and received eight penalty points on his driving licence. The case highlights the regulatory restrictions preventing Hackney Carriage drivers from accepting immediate hires outside the area in which they are licensed.
A second operation took place on 9 August ahead of Manchester United’s pre-season match against Fiorentina. Licensing officers were monitoring activity near the Bishop’s Blaize pub when they approached a black Hackney Carriage, also licensed by Manchester City Council.
The driver, Khalid Mahmood, 60, from Burnley, agreed to take the officers into the city centre before they identified themselves and halted the journey. Mahmood admitted the offence at the roadside and later pleaded guilty in court, stating he had made a mistake and asked for a warning.
Mahmood was fined £400, with a £160 surcharge and £100 in costs, and also received eight penalty points. Both drivers were additionally found to be operating without valid insurance for the journeys, a consequence of undertaking hires outside their licensed authority area.
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “This is another example of a wider problem on matchdays with drivers from other areas illegally looking for fares. This court prosecution shows our officers are watching and will take action.
“Only Hackney Carriages licensed by Trafford Council are permitted to pick up fares without a booking. These drivers committed the offence of illegally plying for hire and, in doing so, invalidated their insurance.
“Trafford’s Hackney Carriage drivers work hard to provide transport for those who need it in the borough. This type of behaviour puts public safety at risk and is illegal. Our Licensing Enforcement Team works to support drivers who follow the rules properly and to make sure passengers ride safely, with insurance in place.”
