FIT AND PROPER
BRADFORD CABBIE SCRAPS LICENCE REVOCATION APPEAL OVER LEGAL COST FEARS
A banned private hire driver seeking to
regain his licence
ultimately abandoned his appeal after a court rejected his request for a 12-week delay to find legal representation. Mohammed Rafiq, from Bradford, was stripped of his licence by council officers who ruled he was no longer a "fit and proper person" to operate a PHV.
The decision came after he accumulated two driving convictions earlier this year: one in March for driving without due care and attention, and another last month for using a mobile phone
while behind the wheel. When Rafiq appeared at Bradford Magistrates Court on Friday for his appeal, he arrived without a lawyer. He asked the shocked courtroom to adjourn the case for three months so he could consult legal help. Imran Hussain, representing Bradford
Council, strongly
opposed any delay, noting that Rafiq would keep his licence while the appeal remained open and stating: “Because of this we would certainly not want to
delay
matters.” Speaking through an Urdu
interpreter, Rafiq explained that he simply did not have the money for legal advice. Court officials warned him that if he pressed ahead with the appeal and lost, he would face an inevitable and hefty bill to cover the council's costs. When asked how he would pay such a bill, Rafiq admitted he did not know. Asked whether he still wished to proceed, he initially told the court, “It is up to the bench to decide.” After magistrates reminded him that the choice was entirely his, Rafiq withdrew the appeal on the spot.
THREE MANCHESTER TAXI DRIVERS FINED AFTER OLD TRAFFORD MATCHDAY STING
Three taxi drivers have been fined and given penalty
points for
illegally picking up undercover officers outside Old Trafford stadium on Manchester United matchdays. The drivers all held hackney carriage licences issued by Manchester City Council, which meant they were not legally allowed to pick up unbooked passengers within the Trafford area. Because the journeys were not pre-booked, the drivers’ vehicle insurance was completely invalidated. Undercover licensing enforcement officers spotted the taxis with their signs lit up before and after home games against Burnley and Everton. The officers requested trips to the city centre, and once the journeys began, they identified themselves and ordered the
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drivers to pull over. Trafford Council subsequently brought the prosecutions at Manchester Magistrates’ Court. The three drivers faced heavy financial penalties:
Ishtiaq Hussain Bibi, 47, of Manchester, pleaded guilty
to
illegally plying for hire and driving without insurance after offering a £10 trip to the city centre. He was fined £240, ordered to pay a £96 surcharge and £100 in costs, and received six penalty points. Minas Tewolde, 58, of Eccles, was found guilty of illegally plying for hire, driving without insurance, and failing to wear his driver’s badge. He was fined £660, ordered to pay a £264 surcharge and £580 in costs, and received six penalty points. Erdan Shifa Mohammed, 50, of Salford, pleaded guilty to similar
offences after asking for £25 in cash for a 4.5-mile trip. He was fined £400, ordered to pay a £160 surcharge and £300 in costs, and received six penalty points. Councillor Keleigh Glenton, executive member for community safety at Trafford Council, said: “These drivers committed the offence of illegally plying for hire and, in doing so, invalidated their insurance.”
She added that the council’s enforcement team is dedicated to protecting passengers and supporting rule-abiding drivers. “These cases highlight that courts take a very dim view of this behaviour,” Glenton noted. “On top of the financial penalties, the points added to drivers’ licences will have a much more lasting impact on them.”
AUGUST 2026 PHTM
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