Lunchtime drivers faced delays on a Moray trunk road yesterday after a taxi caught fire in Elgin.
The blaze broke out at around 11.40am at the junction between the Pinefield industrial estate and the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road.
Access to the industrial site via Pinefield Parade was sealed off for more than an hour while emergency services dealt with the incident.
The black Ford Mondeo, belonging to C&R Taxis of Elgin, was extinguished by firefighters.
Police helped with traffic management as the charred vehicle was recovered.
Speaking from the scene, company manager of Elgin’s C&R Taxis Rod Mclennan said: “I was coming down to the junction and I just saw the burst of flames coming from the bonnet.
“I tried the wee fire extinguisher I had, but the fire just laughed at that, so then it was just a case of getting out of the car, and this is the end result.”
He added: “There was nobody else in the car and no passengers, and that’s the main thing — nobody was hurt.
“At this stage, they are just putting it down as an engine fault, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
Incident commander Alan Western, who serves as watchman at Elgin Fire Station, said: “We attended the incident shortly after 11.40am, which involved one vehicle on fire on Pinefield Parade.
“One appliance attended the scene from Elgin. Five fighters used breathing apparatus and one jet to extinguish the fire.
“Police were also in attendance for traffic management and to clean up the road.
“At this moment in time, the cause of the incident will require further investigation.”
Earlier, commuters faced traffic delays on the outskirts of Elgin after a car was overturned in a crash.
The silver Vauxhall Astra was left on its side as it travelled along the A941 Elgin to Rothes road at 8.30am yesterday morning.
A red Fiat Punto was also involved in the collision, which happened on the Myreside to Coleburn road to the east of the town, near Blackhills.
An ambulance crew was called to the scene to check for injuries, but both drivers escaped from their vehicles unscathed.
Fire crews also attended the scene to ensure the road was clear of any spillages following the crash.
The overturned vehicle was recovered at 10.25am.