Worrying rise in Fife taxi assaults and people doing a ‘runner’https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/lo ... -a-runner/An increase in Fife taxi drivers being assaulted and defrauded is being probed by authorities, The Courier has learned.
Licensing officers in the region have launched an investigation after being approached by an unnamed taxi operator in central Fife who claiming there has been a recent rise in assaults on drivers and people making off without paying.
It is thought the problem is worse than it appears, with fears those affected are opting not to report crimes committed against them.
News of a spike in incidents has also led to calls for all taxi drivers to fit CCTV cameras to their cabs as a deterrent and some operators are now asking for money up front before making their journeys to avoid being short-changed.
The issue has been highlighted after an appeal from Fife Council’s licensing team to all taxi drivers across the region to share their stories in a bid to find out how widespread the problem is.
Experienced taxi driver John Aitchison, who is chair of the West Fife Taxi Association, hopes the appeal will bear fruit.
“It’s one of those problems that’s hard to gauge because people don’t always report it,” he said.
“Sometimes guys are embarrassed that they’ve been turned over and don’t report it, while some don’t report it because the response has been so varied in the past.
“The other thing is, of course, that if it happens at one of the busiest times, like a Saturday night, going to the police station is effectively throwing good money after bad.
“It’s happened to everybody at some time and the saying ‘you can’t tell a book by its cover’ is very true.
“A lot of taxi drivers now will ask for money up front on longer runs, simply because of experience. A lot of people who do this sort of thing don’t look as if they are going to be a problem.
“I know there are a lot of taxi drivers who ask for money beforehand – some folk don’t like it, some folk think it is cheeky, but it’s purely just a reaction to experience.”
All of west Fife’s taxis now have CCTV fitted in their cabs following a pilot project and Mr Aitchison said the move has been worthwhile.
“It’s definitely got a deterrent value,” he added.
Max Solaris from Glenrothes said he quit driving taxis after being assaulted, even though he reported the matter to police and it was dealt with by the courts.
He said: “I didn’t feel safe enough in private hire without a safety screen to continue. I also had a few runners as well.”
Kirkcaldy taxi owner Janice Allan added: “The doing a runner is getting worse.”
Cowdenbeath taxi driver Martin Liszka called on all taxi drivers to make an effort to report instances of assault and fraud and “stand together”.
“If word gets round that there is no consequence to effectively stealing from you then it’s a free taxi ride home every day of the week,” he noted.
Taxi assaults and fraud a “weekly occurrence” in Levenmouthhttps://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/lo ... evenmouth/Further concerns about taxi drivers throughout Fife becoming the victims of assault or fraud have been raised following suggestions it happens on a weekly basis in some areas.
The Courier revealed earlier this month how Fife Licensing Board had launched an investigation into an apparent increase in the number of operators on the receiving end of such crimes, amid fears drivers were not reporting incidents.
The focus has fallen on Levenmouth in particular, with local taxi operators revealing the issue of passengers assaulting drivers or ‘doing a runner’ without paying their fare has become a problem.
Pete Meldrum, of Magnum Taxis, has highlighted the escalating problem to licensing chiefs in the region and has urged all victims to come forward to help catch the culprits.
“Taxi fraud is now a weekly occurrence and in the months of November and December it spiralled with all Levenmouth companies affected,” he said.
“There is a certain element of the public who believe that if they fail to pay a taxi then it is no big deal as the worst thing that will happen is that the police may catch up with them and as long as they pay the police then the problem goes away and they think this because that is reality.
“The police and the procurator fiscal have allowed this situation to get worse because they do not view taxi fraud with any seriousness.
“We do not need the police to be our debt collectors, we need them and the procurator fiscals to do their job and treat the culprits of taxi fraud the same way they would treat a shoplifter or a pickpocket.”
The Courier revealed earlier this month how some Fife victims had taken the decision not to report crimes against them, either through embarrassment, a perception the matter would not be taken seriously or the potential loss of income on busy nights through the process of reporting incidents.
Many taxi drivers said they have now taken to asking for money up front.
Donald Jenks, licensing enforcement officer, stressed Fife Council and Police Scotland are treating the issues extremely seriously.
“When an operator raised this with us we wanted to try to find out if this was a widespread issue or an isolated local issue,” he explained.
“Taxi operators are carrying out a very important service and they should be able to do their job without the fear of theft or assault.
“We would encourage all operators to report any such instances to the police and us.
“Fife Council licensing team work closely with Police Scotland Fife Division to ensure such reports from the taxi trade are investigated appropriately.”
Police Scotland has also encouraged all victims of crime to report instances of assault or theft by calling either 999 in an emergency or 101.
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