Tougher penalties for cabbies and minicab drivers for illegal number plates could force compliance reset in taxi sector
- Perry Richardson
- 3 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Calls to increase penalties for illegal number plates are gaining traction in Westminster, with MPs questioning whether meaningful compliance in the taxi and private hire sector can be achieved without tougher sanctions that materially change driver behaviour.
The debate follows the publication of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety report into vehicle registration plates, which found widespread use of ghost, stealth and cloned plates, including among licensed taxis. Despite targeted enforcement, non-compliance remains high, prompting questions over whether current penalties are simply being absorbed as a cost of doing business.
Transport for London enforcement data submitted to the inquiry showed that 41 percent of licensed taxis checked using specialist ghost-plate detection cameras were found to have non-compliant plates. After more than 4,200 penalties were issued from July 2023 onwards, subsequent checks still found 38 per cent of vehicles in breach, suggesting enforcement alone has delivered only limited improvement.
Under current rules, the use of an illegal plate typically results in a fine but does not carry penalty points, and vehicles are rarely seized unless linked to wider offending. MPs involved in the inquiry argue this weakens deterrence, particularly in parts of the trade where plate manipulation is used to avoid airport charges, congestion fees and road pricing schemes.
MPs argue stronger sanctions are needed to change behaviour as enforcement data shows persistent plate tampering
The APPG report recommends increasing fines, introducing penalty points for illegal plate use and giving enforcement bodies powers to seize vehicles belonging to repeat offenders. MPs say these measures would bring number plate offences closer in line with other vehicle-related breaches that already attract licence endorsements and, in some cases, immediate suspension from licensed work.
The issue has taken on greater significance as the taxi and private hire industry faces wider scrutiny following the Casey Report, which highlighted serious safeguarding failures and called for higher standards of compliance and enforcement. Policymakers have warned that reforms aimed at improving passenger safety rely on the ability to reliably identify licensed vehicles, something undermined by widespread plate tampering.
Licensing authorities have also raised concerns that without stronger penalties, honest drivers are being undercut by those willing to evade charges and enforcement. The report notes that many compliant operators feel disadvantaged when competitors use illegal plates to reduce operating costs while facing minimal consequences if caught.
The APPG argues that tougher penalties could act as a catalyst for a broader compliance reset across the sector, reinforcing the message that licensed status carries obligations as well as privileges. It also suggests that stronger sanctions could make reform of the plate supply chain self-funding, reducing the burden on police and local authorities.
As ministers consider their response to the APPG’s recommendations alongside potential post-Casey reforms, the question now facing government is whether incremental enforcement is sufficient, or whether only significantly harsher penalties will shift behaviour in an industry already under intense pressure to rebuild trust.
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