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Posted on the 22nd May 2025 in PHTM News
DUNFERMLINE TAXI DRIVERS ENDURE ABUSE AND FARE DODGING EPIDEMIC
Taxi drivers in Dunfermline are facing an increasingly hostile environment, battling rampant verbal abuse and frequent fare dodging, leading to a significant loss of experienced drivers.
The owner of a local taxi company has spoken out, revealing the severe impact these issues are having on the profession.
"We don’t get any respect in society because we’re taxi drivers. It’s as if somebody with a certain type of job can say whatever they want, and we just have to shut up and listen," the unnamed owner stated, highlighting the pervasive disrespect drivers encounter.
He lamented the departure of skilled personnel, saying: "So many good drivers just don’t have the stamina to put up with it."
The businessman stressed the vital, yet undervalued, role of taxi drivers: "Without taxi drivers, good luck when you’re drunk and you need to get home. We’re working and paying tax, but we’re bottom of the list because of our profession."
He added: "The way we're being treated is horrible, and that’s when we have cameras. Imagine if we didn’t."
Alarmingly, the verbal abuse frequently escalates to physical violence. Recent years have seen shocking incidents, including a drunk passenger choking a taxi driver at 70 miles per hour and, more than a decade ago, a driver suffering a cardiac arrest after a knife attack.
"I’ve got a thick skin, and so do most of my drivers, but when someone puts their hands on you, enough is enough," the owner asserted.
Fare dodging, however, remains the most common and frustrating issue. The owner claims that support from authorities is virtually non-existent.
"I’ve reported around ten incidents, and never had a penny back. It’s always that police can’t find the person involved," he revealed, adding: "It all adds up, but you can’t do anything. The situation is far worse than when I started it 2017."
The lack of effective police response has left drivers feeling abandoned. "We don’t want to phone them, they come and take a statement, then it’s phone call after phone call, but nothing else," he said.
He suspects a staffing issue within the police force, noting: "I don’t know whether it’s a lack of staff and police officers, but it’s been worse since Covid. There was always trouble, but before there was a bit of help. Now nobody will turn up."
Police recently confirmed they are investigating an alleged assault on a taxi driver during a journey from Dunfermline to Rosyth, a testament to the ongoing challenges faced by these essential workers.
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