Three taxi drivers who picked up undercover licensing enforcement officers before or after sporting fixtures around Old Trafford have been sentenced at Manchester Magistrates Court.
Trafford Council brought the prosecutions following routine investigations last year. Only Hackney Carriage drivers licensed in Trafford are allowed to be hailed to pick up fares in the borough. Private hire drivers must be pre-booked.
Mr Ka Lun Wong, 59, of Butterworth Street, Radcliffe, a Manchester City Council licensed Hackney Carriage driver, was prosecuted for unlicensed ply for hire and using his vehicle without insurance, with the case proved in his absence. He was fined £660, a surcharge of £264 and costs of £660 totalling £1,584. He received eight points on his DVLA driver’s licence.
Wolverhampton-registered private hire driver Mr Muhammad Adnan, 40, of Mornington Road, Bolton, pleaded guilty to unlicensed ply for hire, using his vehicle without insurance and failing to wear his driver’s badge. He was fined £430 with a surcharge of £172 and £198 costs totalling £800. He received eight points on his DVLA driver’s licence.
Both prosecutions on 24 July 2026 relate to pick-ups last July, 2025, as Lancashire County Cricket Club hosted a test match, England v India.
Finally, another Manchester City Council Hackney Carriage driver, Mr Tahir Islam, 65, of Tennyson Avenue, Bury, pleaded guilty to illegally ply for hire and using his vehicle without insurance at Tameside Magistrates Court on 15 July 2026. The case related to Saturday 4 October last year, before a Manchester United match against Sunderland.
He was fined £484, with a surcharge of £182 and £200 contribution to costs as well as eight points on his driving licence.
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said:
“It is an offence for any vehicle other than a Hackney Carriage licensed in the district to stand or ply for hire. Picking up an un-booked fare automatically invalidates vehicle insurance and leaves passengers vulnerable in the event of a road traffic collision. Trafford Council will continue to take enforcement action where individuals do not adhere to these rules.”