Private hire vehicle with expired plates seized in Bristol during police crackdown on bus lane misuse
- Perry Richardson
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
Avon and Somerset Police carried out a series of roadside checks last week as part of targeted enforcement on Bath Road, resulting in arrests and vehicle seizures.
PC Patrick Quinton, known as the region’s dedicated taxi enforcement officer, confirmed several incidents during a joint operation with the Roads Policing Unit. The activity focused on both general motoring offences and compliance within the taxi and private hire industry.
During the operation, a member of the public was stopped for illegally driving in the bus and taxi lane. The driver was subjected to a roadside drug test and subsequently arrested on suspicion of drug driving.
In addition to motoring offences, PC Quinton seized a private hire vehicle believed to be displaying “ghost” plates. The vehicle is now under further investigation to determine whether the identification was fraudulent or misleading in any way.
The enforcement team also came across a vehicle showing private hire plates that had expired in May 2025. The driver told officers that he had retired but had not removed the expired licence plates from the vehicle.
However, further checks by PC Quinton showed that the same vehicle had been a frequent visitor to Bristol Airport, raising concerns about ongoing private hire activity.
Enquiries into the matter remain ongoing to establish whether the vehicle has been used for unlicensed work since the expiry of its authorisation.
PC Quinton noted that the majority of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles stopped were found to be compliant with their licence conditions. He thanked drivers for their cooperation during the checks, adding that their patience helped officers carry out necessary compliance work.
The operation is part of ongoing efforts to tackle unlawful use of taxi infrastructure and to ensure that only properly licensed vehicles and drivers are operating in public spaces, especially near sensitive locations such as airports and city centres.
