Plan to axe taxi rank at health centre

NHS Fife is looking to buy the land, confirming that it wants to turn the land into a staff car park.

Taxi drivers say that the rank is well used by patients, especially the elderly and those with mobility issues, who would now have to walk down to Victoria Hospital to get a taxi.

Dawn Hunter, secretary of the Kirkcaldy Taxi Association, said that drivers had been given two weeks to prove that the rank is used.

“The NHS apparently said that no one uses the taxi rank, which is a complete and utter lie.

“We’ve got two weeks to save it. They argue that no one uses it, but it’s quite busy.

“At the moment, not every bus in the area stops at the hospital so it could mean a longer walk for people.”

Alan Paul, Fife Council’s senior property services manager, said: “We’re in discussion with NHS Fife about transferring ownership of some small areas of land at Whyteman’s Brae which have long since been incorporated into the health centre site.

“No final decisions have been taken on the transfer.”

NHS Fife’s director of estates, facilities and capital services, Andrew Fairgrieve, said: “There is a particularly high demand for parking in the vicinity of Kirkcaldy Health Centre, which has presented an issue for patients using the facility for some time.

“We are keen improve accessibility to the health centre and presently have the opportunity to acquire a small amount of land to the south building where a small taxi rank is currently situated.

“Developing this area for parking will enable us to increase capacity and improve accessibility in the health centre.

“A larger taxi rank remains situated a short distance away at our accident and emergency, and reception staff within the health centre can arrange taxis for those patients with reduced mobility.”