Out-of-area private hire checks unearth ghost plates, illegal tints, bald tyre and more
- Perry Richardson
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
A joint taxi enforcement operation was carried out in Walsall on 28 November 2025, with officers inspecting licensed vehicles as part of ongoing work to maintain safety and licensing standards across the West Midlands.
The operation involved Walsall Council, City of Wolverhampton Council and West Midlands Police traffic officers. Checks took place in Walsall town centre between 8pm and 1am and formed part of routine compliance activity carried out across the borough.
In total, 16 licensed vehicles were inspected during the evening. According to the councils involved, half of vehicles were found to be fully compliant, with eight passing all checks without any issues identified.
Where problems were found, officers took immediate action. One vehicle was suspended after a bald tyre was identified. The suspension was lifted later the same evening once the tyre had been replaced, and penalty points were issued in line with licensing policy.
Multi-agency checks find most vehicles compliant but result in suspensions over tyres, ghost plates and missing equipment
A second vehicle was suspended due to missing identification and required safety equipment. That suspension was also lifted once the driver provided the necessary items and brought the vehicle back into compliance.
Another vehicle was suspended after officers identified illegal ghost plates. The vehicle was required to return with legal number plates fitted and other outstanding issues resolved before being allowed back into service.
Police officers also issued penalty points to two drivers for illegal window tints. In a small number of additional cases, missing safety equipment was identified but rectified on the spot without the need for suspension.
Councillor Adam Hicken, Portfolio Holder for Enforcement and Safe Communities, said: “Passenger safety is our absolute priority. Operations like this are about making sure licensed vehicles meet the standards people expect when they get into a taxi in Walsall.
“Residents across Walsall get rightly fed up with dangerous vehicles being used on our roads and our teams work around the clock with the police and other agencies to conduct checks.
“Taxis are no exception. It’s encouraging to see that most vehicles were compliant, but where issues are found we will always take action. We’ll continue working closely with neighbouring councils and the police to keep standards high and protect the public.”
A City of Wolverhampton Council spokesperson said: "We take our licensing responsibilities seriously and our officers work proactively across the country, wherever our drivers work, carrying out regular operations with partners to protect the public and ensure they travel in safety.
"We will continue to support Walsall Council to carry out further compliance operations such as this to make sure vehicles meet the requirements to carry members of the public. This includes cracking down on taxis using 'ghost plates' which are illegal.”
