Taxi drivers in North-East Fife have been condemned for putting passengers at risk.
Nineteen taxis were pulled off the road after serious defects were found during annual inspection tests by Fife Council officers.
One car, which had a mileage of over 182,000, had a speedometer which was clearly not working.
Another had a broken exhaust system and a kinked brake pipe, while a third was found to have a catalogue of defects including a flat spare wheel, a torn wiper blade, a broken bolt on the sub frame, a broken coil spring and problems with the brake pedal.
The operators now face being pulled in front of shocked councillors who have warned they could have their licences suspended.
An astonishing 11% of the 172 taxis tested failed, although most passed a retest. The result is slightly better than last year when 13.5% of taxis failed.
This is in direct contrast to the results in the Levenmouth area where 99% of the 98 taxis tested passed first time and the only failure passed a retest.
In West Fife, 94% of the 81 tested passed first time.
While Levenmouth’s taxi operators have been congratulated for their excellent results, members of the council’s regulation and licensing committee said they were appalled by the situation in the north of the region.
Chairman Bob Young told members: “The failures are coming from one area and that’s very upsetting in a lot of ways because I thought we had a good grip of it. We really need to do something.”
St Andrews councillor Dorothea Morrison said local members had previously warned taxi operators about the condition of their vehicles.
“About four or five years ago the results coming from East Fife were so bad we had a meeting with operators in St Andrews and they were told at that time in no uncertain terms to pull their socks up,” she said.
She added: “We get report after report about excellent results from Levenmouth and the operators there really should be congratulated.
“They are setting standards, yet St Andrews is supposed to be an affluent area and has terrible results.”
Councillor Mike Rumney said the North-East Fife results were shocking.
“Every time we get inspection reports from East Fife they are terrible,” he said. “Why can’t they make the same effort as operators from West and Central Fife where we always see really good results?”
Mr Rumney moved that all the operators who failed the test be brought before the committee to face possible suspension.
The five West Fife operators who failed will also be called in to the specially convened meeting to deal with the situation.
Mr Rumney added: “I have to say, I’m disappointed in some of the names appearing on the West Fife list because they have appeared before this committee time after time.”
Regarding the East Fife results the council’s fleet services manager Tom Henderson said: “Although there has been a slight increase in the first-time pass rate from last year’s result, it is still very disappointing that 19 vehicles failed the test, especially as some of these operators have previously been brought to the committee’s attention. As last year, I would suggest that strong sanctions should be taken.”
However, Mr Henderson hailed the Levenmouth and West Fife results, stating: “I am delighted to inform the committee that there has been a slight increase in the first time pass rate from last year’s results and the operators should yet again be congratulated for their high standards of maintenance.”