Woman has her taxi licence bid rejected after racial slur incident

A Fife woman was refused a first-time taxi licence at a regulation and licensing committee meeting after she was convicted of using a racial slur.

Kelly Nicol, of Lansdowne Crescent, Kincardine, pleaded guilty to verbally abusing a bouncer in June after being asked to leave a bar because she had drunk too much alcohol.

Miss Nicol said she could not remember the night in question due to the amount of alcohol she had consumed and that her lawyer had advised her to plead guilty to the offence.

SNP councillor John Docherty asked how the board could be reassured Miss Nicol would not behave in a racially abusive manner if she picked up a restless customer from a different ethnic background.

Miss Nicol replied: “Well I won’t be drunk because I’ll be driving.”

Labour councillor David Graham said: “What you need to do is convince us as a committee that if we stick our neck out and give you a licence, that first of all you’re not racist, and secondly they you have learned from the incident. Saying you won’t be drunk isn’t an excuse.”

The applicant’s mother, Angeline Nicol, who was there to support her, said: “It was totally out of character for her.

“Drink isn’t an excuse, but she pleaded guilty as she was advised to. She’s not racist, she’s dated people from different backgrounds and isn’t judgemental.”

The committee heard from police that there had been two witnesses to the incident, who said Miss Nicol had used the racial slur twice.

It decided she was not a fit and proper person to hold a licence, with eight councillors supporting the motion.