Posted on the 5th June 2026 in PHTM News

EFTA DEMANDS ANSWERS AFTER FIFE TAXI TRADE BRANDED SHOCKING WITHOUT EVIDENCE

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 this week's Regulation and Licensing Committee meeting, 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, 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 Councillor 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. Councillor 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."


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