Work continues to assess scale of illegal ‘ghost’ number plate usage across taxi and private hire sector, says DfT minister
- Perry Richardson
- Apr 28
- 2 min read
The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed that efforts are underway to better understand the extent of illegal number plate use within the taxi and private hire sector.
Sarah Coombes, Labour MP for West Bromwich, raised the matter in Parliament by asking if the DfT would estimate the number and proportion of taxis and private hire vehicles displaying non-compliant number plates.
In response, Simon Lightwood MP, Minister for the Department for Transport, said the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, police forces, and Trading Standards to tackle the issue. Their focus includes the use of illegal number plates and the growing concern around so-called ‘4D plates’.
Some 4D plates, often referred to as ‘ghost’ plates, use materials that Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems struggle to read. This makes it harder for enforcement bodies to monitor vehicles effectively, raising concerns about road safety and regulatory compliance across the taxi and private hire industry.
The DfT confirmed that work is ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates currently in circulation. This will specifically include taxis and private hire vehicles, although no timescale has yet been announced for when the findings will be made public.
The outcome of this work is expected to inform future enforcement strategies and potential regulatory changes aimed at ensuring all vehicles, including those used for public transport services, comply with national standards.
Minister Lightwood said: “The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of illegal number plates as well as number plates with raised characters, commonly known as ‘4D plates’.
“Some 4D plates can also be described as ‘ghost’ plates where the characters are constructed from materials that are unable to be read by infrared Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems.
“Work is currently ongoing to quantify the number of illegal plates that may be in circulation, which would include on taxis and private hire vehicles.”
