Undercover officers catch out-of-area hackney carriage taxi drivers illegally chasing football crowds at Old Trafford
- Perry Richardson
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Three out-of-area Hackney Carriage drivers have been prosecuted after illegally plying for hire outside Old Trafford on Manchester United matchdays, with each receiving six penalty points after being caught in undercover enforcement operations by Trafford Council.
The prosecutions were brought before Manchester Magistrates’ Court following separate incidents before and after Manchester United home fixtures against Burnley and Everton. Trafford Council said the drivers, all licensed by Manchester City Council, were unlawfully accepting fares within Trafford despite not being licensed by the borough.
Under taxi licensing legislation, Hackney Carriage drivers may only ply for hire within the district that issued their licence. While they can undertake pre-booked journeys outside their licensing area, they cannot legally rank up or accept immediate street hails elsewhere. Because the drivers were operating outside the area where they were licensed to ply for hire, the journeys were also deemed uninsured.
The offences were detected using undercover licensing enforcement officers during Manchester United matchdays, when large crowds create significant demand for taxi services around Old Trafford. Officers approached vehicles displaying illuminated “taxi” signs and requested journeys into Manchester city centre. Once the journeys had started, the officers identified themselves and instructed the drivers to stop.
Mr Ishtiaq Hussain Bibi, 47, pleaded guilty to illegally plying for hire and using a motor vehicle without insurance following an incident before the Burnley fixture on Thursday 25 June. The court heard that he agreed to take undercover officers into the city centre for £10. He was fined £240, ordered to pay a £96 victim surcharge and £100 in prosecution costs, and received six penalty points on his driving licence.
Two further cases related to enforcement carried out before Manchester United’s home match against Everton on Monday 24 November. Mr Minas Tewolde, 58, was found guilty of illegally plying for hire, failing to wear his driver’s badge and using a motor vehicle without insurance. During the encounter, Mr Tewolde reportedly put his head in his hands and asked officers: “Why don’t you give me warning?”
Mr Tewolde received six penalty points, was fined £660 and ordered to pay a £264 victim surcharge together with £580 in prosecution costs.
In a separate case, Mr Erdan Shifa Mohammed, 50, pleaded guilty to illegally plying for hire and using a motor vehicle without insurance after asking undercover officers to pay £25 in cash for a 4.5-mile journey into Manchester city centre. He received six penalty points, a £400 fine, a £160 victim surcharge and was ordered to pay £300 towards prosecution costs.
Licensed taxis can legally complete pre-booked journeys across local authority borders, they cannot lawfully wait for passengers or accept street hails outside the district that issued their Hackney Carriage licence. For licensing authorities, high-profile events such as football matches continue to be a focus for targeted enforcement activity aimed at tackling illegal plying for hire and protecting passenger safety.
Cllr Keleigh Glenton, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Community Safety and Civil Contingencies said: “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.
“These cases highlight that courts take a very dim view of this behaviour. On top of the financial penalties, the points added to drivers’ licenses will have a much more lasting impact on them.”
