ROUND THE COUNCILS FIFE:
EAST FIFE TA DEMANDS ANSWERS
The East Fife Taxi Association has accused Fife Council of unfairly attacking local taxi operators while withholding the very data needed to justify its claims. Following comments made at a Regulation and Licensing Committee meeting last month, EFTA says councillors have chosen headline-grabbing criticism over transparency and evidence. EFTA spokesperson Linda Holt said: “Local taxi operators have been publicly condemned by councillors who have failed to provide the detailed inspection data needed to support their claims. “The first-time pass rate in North East Fife has improved from 78% to 83%, yet councillors have chosen to portray the trade as a problem rather than recognising that operators are working hard to improve standards.” The association is particularly concerned that detailed inspection information which was previously made publicly available has not been published this year. “Last year, detailed inspection information allowed proper scrutiny of the figures. This year, councillors have made serious accusations against local operators while withholding the data that would allow the public to judge the facts for themselves. The obvious question is: what are they trying to hide? If councillors are confident in their claims, they should publish the full inspection results, including the nature and severity of all failures, and allow independent scrutiny.” EFTA also questioned whether testing standards are being applied consistently across Fife. “We continue to hear reports from operators across Fife that different testing centres apply different levels of discretion when dealing with defects identified during inspections. If one area records an immediate fail while another allows defects to be rectified during the inspection process, comparing pass rates becomes highly misleading.” The association says councillors have failed to recognise the financial pressures faced by operators. “Taxi operators have spent years absorbing rising costs while Fife
Council repeatedly delayed
meaningful fare reviews. Even when fare increases were eventually approved, many operators felt they failed to reflect the true costs of running and maintaining licensed vehicles. Despite this, operators continue investing significant sums in vehicle maintenance, insurance, licensing,
54
fuel and compliance requirements in order to provide a vital public service. Rather than attacking hard-working local businesses, councillors should be thanking operators for continuing to serve communities despite increasingly difficult trading conditions.” EFTA reiterated its call for Cllr Tom Adams to resign as Convener of the Regulation and Licensing Committee. “The comments made this week demonstrate once again a lack of balance, fairness and leadership. Cllr Adams appears more interested in publicly berating operators than addressing legitimate concerns about transparency, consistency and the challenges facing the taxi trade. The taxi industry deserves evidence- based regulation, not political grandstanding.”
DENBIGHSHIRE: AGE RULE CHANGE AFTER RISE IN WAVs
Denbighshire County Council is set to meet to consider permanently relaxing rules for wheelchair-accessible taxis following a successful trial that boosted vehicle availability. In June last year, the council’s licensing committee agreed to a 12-month trial that removed age limits for wheelchair accessible vehicles. Under the temporary rules, instead of being forced off the road due to age, WAVs were simply required to meet “Euro 6 emission requirements” and undergo “increased compliance testing once a vehicle reaches 12 years of age.” Council officers reported that the trial had a “positive impact” on the local fleet. Since the change, the council received seven WAV applications. While three were withdrawn because applicants failed to meet licensing standards, the remaining four accepted applications “represent a significant improvement when compared with the previous year, when no new applications were received.” However, the move does come with potential drawbacks. A council report noted that “the main risk relates to the continued use of older vehicles, which may naturally require closer monitoring as they age.” Despite this, officials believe the danger is under control, stating that the risk “is effectively managed through the enhanced testing regime, which ensures regular safety checks and early identification of any issues.” The licensing committee will debate whether to make these changes permanent during their upcoming meeting at the Ruthin County Hall headquarters.
JULY 2026 PHTM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78
