Taxi Driver Online

It's that time of the year again

And yet another carbon copy report in the press.

Not really much to say here that I haven't said a million times before


Taxi operators slammed after ‘shocking’ inspection failure results

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/politi ... ts-8655906

A senior Fife councillor has slammed taxi operators in part of Fife saying he was “deeply concerned” over the latest inspection test results.

Figures for the period from February to May were outlined to members of Fife Council’s Regulations and Licensing Committee on Tuesday.

They showed a total of 203 vehicles licensed in East Fife were inspected but only 168 passed first time.

The remaining 35 failed, providing a pass rate of 83 per cent which was an improvement on last year’s figure of 78 per cent.

ut, this compared to a 99 per cent pass rate in the Levenmouth area where 79 vehicles were checked and only one fail was recorded. In West Fife, 112 vehicles were tested and 110 passed first time.

Councillor Tom Adams, committee convener, said: “Once again, North East Fife has let us down again,” he said. “I am at a loss of what we can do to get them and North East Fife to start to comply with what Fife Council expects.

“We are going to have to come up with something. We have had them in, we have had meetings in the chamber, we even went out on roadshows to speak to them and it is just not working. I am deeply, deeply concerned at what is going on in this area.”

Councillor David MacDiarmid (Howe of Fife and Tay Coast, SNP) said he was “shocked” at the figures.

“I am shocked by every report we get for North East Fife but this one disturbs me,” he said. “We have got to get a handle on it – there is no question about it – because this is absolutely shocking.

“This is absolutely shocking. I would get them in and raise the riot act. As long as we keep on brushing this under the carpet, the more it will happen. If they are not going to clean up their act, get them out.”

Fellow ward councillor Donald Lothian highlighted differences in the North East Fife area to other parts of Fife.

“The east area is 10 or 20 times geographically the size. It is probably three or four times the area of Levenmouth.

“I know from living in East Fife there is an issue with the capacity in garages and it is not helpful if the nearest available garage is 80 miles away – I know how difficult it is to get my car fixed. It really is a problem. It is not an excuse but when distances are involved, it is not helpful.”

Cllr Adams, however, was not convinced.

He added. “The rules are the same as for every other operator in Fife and they have to comply. They have continuously over the years broken the rules and keep on breaking them. Geographical stuff, although you may have a point, it doesn’t wear with me.”

The committee decided that those in the East Fife area who had failed for a first time and had no history of cars failing would have to attend a meeting with the committee convener and vice convener to discuss the situation.

Those with a record of inspection failures will be brought before the full committee.

And, again, they've changed the procedures on the fly - remember all the song and dance about every failure facing a full suspension hearing?

That's all been abandoned, obviously. But no official communication about it all. So they like to keep you in the dark about it all. What was that I keep on saying about the whole 'the process is the punishment' thing?

But even an appearance before the convenor and vice convenor for every failure is totally disproportionate. I mean, you can get an MoT one day, and fail the taxi inspection the next day and you're up in front of them

Well, if you don't know what to do, I suggest you stand down to be replaced by someone who does.

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IDFIMH