SCOTTISH NEWS
TAXI AND PH TRADE LEADERS SLAM GLASGOW COUNCILLOR’S CLAIMS AS FALSE AND DANGEROUS
A coalition of Scotland’s leading taxi and PH representatives has issued a scathing joint rebuke of comments made by a Glasgow City Council councillor Audrey Dempsey, warning that her claims are “deeply insulting,” inaccurate and risk inciting public fear. The backlash follows a TikTok video posted in which she claimed that while drivers licensed in Glasgow undergo vetting and training, those licensed by other councils do not. She suggested that drivers outside Glasgow can “just apply and get a licence” without checks and that their vehicles may be “unfit” for service due to a lack of enforcement. The Scottish PH Association (SPHA), The East Renfrewshire Hire Car Forum (ERHCF), The North Lanark- shire PH Drivers Trade Group (NLPHDTG), and Edinburgh PH Drivers United (EPHDU) have all joined forces to challenge these claims, describing them as a smear on thousands of drivers. John Paul Duffy, ERHCF Chairman, described the councillor’s remarks as “completely untrue.” Mr. Duffy said “Every single driver must undergo a criminal records check before a licence is granted. That applies regardless of which local authority issues the licence.” Eddie Grice, SPHA General Secretary, went further, labelling the comments as a dereliction of duty regarding fact-checking. “To claim that drivers outside of Glasgow are not vetted is so unbelievable that I am surprised a public official would speak without checking the facts first,” said Mr. Grice. “Every single licensed driver in Scotland is vetted as a man-
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datory part of their application, a process demanded by the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 These comments are deeply insult- ing to the thousands of drivers licensed outside Glasgow.” The sentiments were shared by David Graham of NLPHDTG and by Stewart Livingston of EPHDU. Mr Graham said: “To suggest that PH drivers operate without back- ground checks in North Lanark- shire misrepresents the licensing system and undermines public confidence in a regulated service subject to rigorous oversight”. Mr Livingston added: “I’m not sure how far beyond Glasgow the councillors’ comments were inten- ded to apply, but it’s simply untrue to say that any licensed driver in Scotland hasn’t been vetted”. Cllr Dempsey also alleged that vehicles from other areas could be operating with bald tyres or mechanical defects, suggesting that Glasgow’s enforcement unit is powerless to stop them. She even claimed that in the event of an accident, insurance
for these
vehicles would be void. Mr. Duffy dismissed this as mis- leading fear-mongering, noting that passengers are protected by the MIB as a statutory safety net. “In regards to vehicle standards, every licensed vehicle in Scotland is required to undergo a strict inspection procedure,” Mr. Grice noted. “Again, this is mandated by the same primary legislation that governs Glasgow. To suggest that neighbouring councils are letting ‘unfit’ cars on the roads is a fantasy.” The trade leaders highlighted a glaring contradiction in the video
where Cllr Dempsey attempted to link her warnings to a recent high- profile criminal case where Uber driver, Dawitt Tessema, was jailed for sexual assault.
However
Tessema was licensed by Glasgow City Council itself. The SPHA and ERHCF warned that telling the public to avoid vehicles with different coloured licence plates while claiming they “could be anyone” is a dangerous stance. Licence plate colours vary by authority for administrative reasons and have no bearing on the vetting status of the driver. While the trade reps acknowledge that the licensing system requires modernisation, they argue spread- ing “myths” hinders progress. Mr. Grice said: “The SPHA was recently part of a Scottish Govern- ment Task Force reviewing the primary legislation. We’ve put forward proposals for enhanced enforcement powers, national uniformity of vehicle standards and a radical overhaul of licensing zones. There are real problems that need real solutions. “However,
it’s unhelpful for a
councillor to undermine public trust by spreading falsehoods and could spark unnecessary public safety fears while damaging the reputations of law-abiding drivers.” The trade bodies have now issued a formal invitation to Cllr Dempsey and her colleagues to move away from social media rhetoric and toward constructive dialogue. “Let’s discuss the facts and work together on solutions that protect the public and the trade, rather than attacking the livelihoods of our drivers based on fiction.”
FEBRUARY 2026 PHTM
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