Posted on the 12th October 2026 in PHTM News
BE WARNED: 25 BRADFORD DRIVERS LOSE LICENCES OVER MOBILE PHONE OFFENCES
Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request reveal that 25 Bradford-licensed drivers have had their licences revoked for mobile phone offences since 2024.
The breakdown shows:
• 2024: Eight private hire drivers
• 2025: Eight private hire drivers and one hackney carriage driver
• 2026: Eight private hire drivers so far
The latest case involved Zulfiqar Ali, 48 an Uber driver who lost his appeal against Bradford Council's decision to revoke his licence after he was caught holding a mobile phone while driving.
Mr Ali was spotted by police in February driving along Rooley Avenue, with his vehicle reportedly weaving within its lane.
An officer told the court that Mr Ali was holding an illuminated mobile phone against his steering wheel and appeared to drop it onto the passenger seat when he noticed the police vehicle.
He received six penalty points and had his private hire licence revoked in March.
Mr Ali, who had only been granted his Bradford licence in November 2025, although he had been a private hire driver in Birmingham for 14 years before this, denied using the phone. He maintained that it had fallen from its holder and that he was simply putting it back.
Bradford Council takes a strict approach to mobile phone offences.
Steven Knighton, the council's regulatory and compliance manager, told magistrates that the policy was introduced in 2018 to protect the travelling public.
He described mobile phone offences as "incredibly serious", explaining that drivers convicted of such offences face licence revocation and a five-year exclusion from holding a licence under the council's policy.
Pointing out that Mr Ali had only been granted his licence three months prior to the incident, he said: “He would have only recently completed training on the impact driving offences can have. It should have been fresh in his mind.”
Mr Ali's representative argued that the council had applied its policy too rigidly and pointed to previous cases where exceptions had been made. However, magistrates dismissed his appeal, upholding the council's decision to revoke his licence.
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