Taxi Driver Online

More media framing in the headline here

(Which I've parroted in the thread title, and maybe better not to do my own framing )

Quite a brief piece, but some interesting comments - and a slight element of dissent from a councillor


Kirkcaldy taxi operators so close to 100% pass rate in annual inspections

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/politi ... ns-5310668

Just two taxis in Kirkcaldy failed routine inspections in July and August.

A total of 113 vehicles operating in the town secured a first time pass – a total of 98 per cent – with the unsuccessful two passing on re-test.

Billy Ferguson, Fife Council’s fleet operations service manager, was pleased with the progress.

“The percentage pass rate in 2024 was 97 per cent,” he said. “The operators should be congratulated for their first-class efforts in continuing to maintain their cars to a very high standard.”

Tay Bridgehead councillor Jonny Tepp queried why the results were better than those in the North East Fife area earlier in the year: “Are vehicles younger or is there some other explanation?” he said.

Mr Ferguson said there was no obvious reason.

“The vehicles are all about the same age but maybe operators monitor them a bit better,” he said.

Howe of Fife and Tay Coast councillor Donald Lothian suggested: “In one respect, we are not really comparing like with like. North East Fife is bigger than all the six areas put together so taxi operators are living in smaller places with no garages nearby.

“It is no excuse but not really like for like. In the last couple of years, it has been increasingly difficult to get a car into a local garage. It is becoming quite difficult to get repairs done on occasions.”

Committee convener, councillor Tom Adams, was pleased to see improvement.

“Obviously we would like 100 per cent but it is better than last year.”

I'm sure they'd like that in the likes of Edinburgh as well - what was it, about 60% pass rate there, so that's well over 2,000 inspection failures per year. So if they follow Fife's new procedure that'll be 2,000+ suspension hearings in Edinburgh per annum. Can't see it, somehow


I could suggest other reasons


Interesting, and lots that could be said about this, including that I suspect a lot of the newer opertators who fail actually live in Dundee

And if his logic is correct, why does Kirkcaldy regularly have the highest MoT failure rate in the whole UK...?

(I'd guess if MoT tests were conducted to the council's East zone taxi standards then Kirkcaldy would have an MoT pass rate of less than 50%. So with a population of 50,000 or so, that means something like 10,000 cars in Kirkcaldy fail MoTs every year. But 20 or so taxis in St Andrews and surrounding area are the real menace, what with those missing fire extinguisher stickers, number plates missing tiny lettering, and foam rather than powder fire extinguishers )

A joy seeing this part of Fife outperforming its neighbours.

_________________
IDFIMH