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'It is an appalling and horrific situation' — taxi safety failures in east Fife anger councillors
Fifers could be facing significant safety risks due to the "appalling and horrific" condition of a significant number of local taxis, councillors have warned.
The regulation and licensing committee hit out after a report revealed a shocking catalogue of inspection failures. Twenty-one cabs in east Fife failed annual tests this year.
In one shocking case, a St Andrews firm saw five of its fleet of six taxis falling short of the standards required. Faulty handbrakes, fuel and oil leaks, damaged bodywork, excess emissions, perilous DIY repairs and faulty headlights were among the catalogue of problems. The figures for east Fife are in stark contrast to those in the west of the region, where only five fails were reported.
Tom Henderson, lead officer for fleet services, admitted the results represent a major cause for concern. He also called for "strong sanctions" to be taken against offenders, pointing out that some of the operators had previously been warned about their lax procedures.
"This an extremely discouraging report, with 21 vehicles (in east Fife) failing the test," Mr Henderson told committee members during a meeting in Cupar on Tuesday. "It is especially disappointing when some of the operators have previously been brought before the committee to discuss their maintenance procedures further, or for possible suspension of the their licences." He added, "I would now suggest that strong sanctions be taken with all operators whose vehicles failed the test."
Councillors were furious, with some warning the situation in east Fife "must be the worse in Scotland, if not the entire UK." Mike Rumney said, "These operators are putting the general public in jeopardy. They could be operating in any part of Fife — on my street or yours." He added, "Frankly this is a shocking report ... and it is about time we did something about it."
Mr Rumney said many operators seemed not to care about safety. "They are thumbing their noses at this committee and the council — it is shocking." Councillors accused operators of "arrogance, ignorance and stupidity."
Mike Scott-Hayward backed calls for stringent sanctions, saying, "These people have to learn their lesson. We simply should not be allowing these vehicles to go out on the road."
Bill Sangster said re-test fees should rise to encourage operators to pass first time. "I have been asking for a long, long time that any re-tests be double the price of the original test," he said. "It is clear that something must be done."
Committee chairman Councillor Gerry McMullan said, "We have spoken to certain taxi providers in the past to warn them but it has not made one bit of difference. The safety of everybody that gets into a taxi in Fife is paramount. "However, the people who get into these particular taxis are on a sticky wicket — it is an appalling and horrific situation which must be resolved."
A motion lodged by Mr Rumney to demand suspension hearings with all operators whose vehicles failed the inspections received unanimous backing.
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