Agenda and draft minutes

Trade Liaison Group Meeting

Date: 7^th September 2026
Time: 16.30
Venue: Microsoft Teams
Chair: Ben Thomson

1.    Welcome and Apologies

The Chair, Ben Thomson, welcomed attendees to the meeting.

Attendees included representatives from Bury Council, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and trade associations including Michael Bridge, Babar Ibrahim, Sham Raja, Charles Oakes, Habib Ur-Rehman and Dave Lawrie.

2.    Minutes and Actions of Previous Meeting

The minutes and actions from the previous meeting were noted. No additional amendments were raised.

3.    GMP Update

Taxi Incident Update

Peter reported that GMP had recorded 22 taxi-related incidents during the previous three months. These included five assaults, three vehicle damage incidents, one report of racial abuse, six bilking incidents, two thefts involving taxi plates and three disturbance-related incidents. No significant increase linked to the World Cup had been identified.

Stolen Taxi Plates

Trade representatives queried the theft of two taxi plates. Peter confirmed the incidents occurred on 5 June and 20 June and agreed to investigate where the affected vehicles were licensed. Michael Bridge advised that no related reports had been received by Licensing and agreed to check whether replacement plates had been issued. Members reiterated the importance of reporting stolen plates to the police and obtaining a crime reference number before replacement plates are issued.

Assaults Against Drivers

Trade representatives requested further detail regarding the five reported assaults, including whether those involved Bury licensed vehicles. As investigations remained active, Peter could not provide a breakdown at the meeting but agreed to supply a high-level summary where legally permissible.

Reporting of Incidents

GMP and Licensing officers highlighted that increased incident numbers may reflect improved reporting by drivers. Members were encouraged to continue reporting assaults, thefts, disturbances and any suspicious or criminal activity to help build an intelligence picture across Greater Manchester.

Driver Safety and CCTV

Following discussion regarding assaults on drivers, trade representatives requested that Bury Council reconsider introducing CCTV requirements within licensed vehicles. It was noted that national minimum standards are expected to include mandatory CCTV requirements and that any local approach should align with national developments. Concerns were also raised regarding compliance, enforcement and officer training.

Members discussed introducing vehicle signage warning passengers that violence, abuse and fare evasion may lead to prosecution. Officers advised that the existing "Respect the Driver" campaign materials could be refreshed and introduced earlier than originally planned.

E-Bikes and E-Scooters

Members discussed concerns regarding e-bikes and e-scooters, including dangerous riding, use on pavements and roads, vehicle damage and links to criminal activity. GMP advised that enforcement activity is intelligence-led and that seizure powers are available in certain circumstances. However, wider regulation would require national legislative change.

Trade representatives suggested that a registration system for e-bikes and e-scooters would assist enforcement and accountability. Officers acknowledged the potential benefit but noted this would require legislative change at national level.

4.    Clean Air Update

Hackney Carriage Funding

Michael Bridge confirmed that all eligible Bury Hackney Carriage proprietors had accepted the funding available to support vehicle upgrades, resulting in 100% uptake  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.