A coalition of Scotland’s leading taxi and private hire representatives has issued a scathing joint rebuke of comments made by a Glasgow City Council councillor, warning that her claims are "deeply insulting," inaccurate and risk inciting public fear.

The backlash follows a TikTok video posted by Springburn and Robroyston Councillor Audrey Dempsey, in which she claimed that while drivers licensed in Glasgow undergo vetting and training, those licensed by other councils do not.

In the video, the councillor suggested that drivers outside of 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 Private Hire Association (SPHA), The East Renfrewshire Hire Car Forum, The North Lanarkshire Private Hire Drivers Trade Group, and Edinburgh Private Hire Drivers United have all joined forces to challenge these claims, describing them as a smear on thousands of professional drivers.

A ‘Fundamental Misunderstanding" of the Law:

John Paul Duffy, Chairman of the East Renfrewshire Hire Car Forum, described the councillor’s remarks as "completely untrue."

“All taxi and private hire drivers in Scotland are vetted,” Mr. Duffy stated. “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, General Secretary of the SPHA, went further, labeling 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 mandatory part of their application, a process demanded by the Civic Government (Scotland) Act. These comments are deeply insulting to the tens of thousands of hard-working drivers licensed outside the Glasgow boundary.”

The sentiments were shared by David Graham of The North Lanarkshire Private Hire Trade Group and by Stewart Livingston of Edinburgh Private Hire Drivers United.

Mr Graham said: “To suggest that private hire drivers operate without background checks in North Lanarkshire misrepresents the licensing system and undermines public confidence in a regulated service that is subject to rigorous oversight”.

Mr Livingston added: “I’m not sure how far beyond Glasgow the councillors’ comments were intended to apply, but it’s simply untrue to say that any licensed driver in Scotland hasn't been vetted”.

Vehicle safety and enforcement myths:

The councillor 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 misleading fear-mongering, noting that passengers are protected by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) as a statutory safety net. Mr. Grice added that vehicle standards are not "optional" as the councillor implied.

“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 simply letting ‘unfit’ cars onto the road is a fantasy.”

Misplaced blame and "dangerous" rhetoric:

The trade leaders highlighted a glaring contradiction in the councillor’s video where she attempted to link her warnings to a recent high-profile criminal case. Cllr Dempsey appeared to reference Uber driver Dawitt Tessema, who was recently jailed for sexual assault. However, as the trade leaders pointed out, Tessema was licensed by Glasgow City Council itself.

“I struggle to understand why an incident involving a Glasgow-licensed driver has been used to justify criticism of drivers licensed by other councils,” Mr. Duffy said.

The SPHA and the Forum both warned that telling the public to avoid vehicles with different colored 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.

A call for real reform over rhetoric:

While the trade reps acknowledge that the licensing system requires modernisation, they argue that spreading "myths" hinders actual progress.

“There is certainly scope to improve the regime,” Mr. Grice admitted. “The SPHA was recently part of a Scottish Government Task Force reviewing the primary legislation. We have 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,” Grice continued, “it is entirely unhelpful to that process for an elected councillor to undermine public trust by spreading falsehoods. It is a very dangerous claim to make because it is untrue 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.

“Public safety is not improved by spreading misinformation,” the leaders concluded. “We invite Cllr Dempsey, or any elected official seeking genuine reform, to meet with us. Let’s discuss the facts and work together on solutions that actually protect the public and the trade, rather than attacking the livelihoods of professional drivers based on fiction.”

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