Taxi Driver Bitten By Bugs After Raw Sewage Leak At Station
8th October 2009
A Dunfermline taxi driver is calling for action after being bitten by bugs attracted to an overflow of raw sewage at the taxi rank where she works.
Fiona Bruce, who is based at Inverkeithing train station, had to undergo two courses of antibiotics after her arms came out in an unsightly rash of spots the size of "a two-pence piece".
The sewage comes from a private pumping station set up for residents in flats at Station Court, which overlooks the busy station and is apparently hit by continual blockages.
Ms Bruce (50) said, "We have to sit there and it's our place of work.
"If there was a human excrement drain in your office running past you every day you wouldn't put up with it - it's not on.
"I was bitten again last Friday, it's affecting everybody."
She went initially to A&E at Queen Margaret Hospital after being puzzled by the spots when they appeared on her arm.
Doctors gave her antibiotics and a dressing to help clear it up.
She went on, "I had to go back to the doctor because it didn't clear and they gave me two lots of antibiotics plus penicillin.
"They also gave me a blood test. The doctor confirmed it was an insect bite based on blood samples.
"When I went down to the taxi rank the next day after getting the blood test results it was humid weather and as I pulled into the rank one of the taxi drivers said, 'Don't pull into there Fiona, there's hundreds of wee black flies, they are eating us alive down here'."
"The rank is our place of work and something has to be done.
"If it's human faeces it's Fife Council's duty, care and responibility to sort it out. I know for a fact railway staff have also contacted them.
"My health is suffering and I don't want other members of the public suffering from this. If people pull together they can help resolve the issue."
Ms Bruce, a taxi driver for three years, said she complained to Fife Council and received a call earlier this week from a worker at the environmental health department to discuss the issue.
Both Fife Council and Scottish Water denied responsibility when contacted by the Press, with Scottish Water confirming the sewage was flowing from a private pumping station.
Edinburgh-based management services firm Hacking & Paterson work on behalf of residents to help in the maintenance of the flats at Station Court. They do not own the buildings.
A spokesman confirmed the firm had been called out several times to fix the sewage problem, caused by residents flushing unsuitable material down their toilets.
He added, "As agent we act on behalf of owners of the property. We are aware of the problem - people put stuff down the loo and the pumping station can't cope with it.
"Our engineer clears it out at the drop of a hat and we repeatedly make contact with owners to tell them not to put stuff down the toilet they shouldn't."
Source; DunfermlinePress.com
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