EasyCoach director banned from holding operator’s licence after damning report

The director of a budget bus company which withdrew from Wrexham after only two months has been banned from holding a licence for two years.

It follows the publishing of a damning report into The Skiers Lodge Ltd (TSL), which ran four services in the area under the name of easyCoach and was besieged by problems during its short time in the county.

Issues highlighted at a hearing held by the Traffic Commissioner for Wales towards the end of last year included a wheel falling off one of the firm’s buses on the A483 dual carriageway.

Nick Jones was also told about schoolchildren facing problems around the time of their exams because of unreliable services.

He has now formally published his decision to revoke the passenger transport licence held by TSL from March 18, 2019 and prevent it from applying for an indefinite period.

Mr Jones also decided to disqualify sole director Andrew Martin from holding a licence for two years and from acting as a transport manager until he passes a fresh exam.

In a decision notice, Mr Jones accused Mr Martin of ‘arrogance’ and said he had no hesitation in taking action against him.

He said: “Andrew Martin was called before me to consider his repute as a transport manager.

“It is clear that his specialist knowledge and competence fall woefully short of the minimum required.

“It is in Andrew Martin’s interests as well as that of the public service vehicle industry generally that he be required to re-qualify as a transport manager if he were ever to seek to fill such a position within Great Britain.”

Mr Jones added: “I remind myself that Andrew Martin was before me as the only potential transport manager for The Skiers Lodge Ltd and that it no longer has the required professional competence in view of my findings in relation to his transport manager repute.

“Had I not gone on to make adverse findings in relation to operator repute I would have granted a short period of grace, however this is academic in view of the clear loss of repute for the operator which ran illegally in Wales and operated unsafe vehicles to the extent that one suffered a wheel loss, something which can have a potentially catastrophic outcome.

“Andrew Martin was told by me that I was minded to make an order of disqualification in respect of him as an individual.

“His failure to take advice reflects a level of arrogance that make it necessary to keep him out of the operator licensing system for a period of time.”

EasyCoach launched its services in Wrexham in June 2018 by opening a depot in the village of Rhosymedre, which it painted orange in keeping with easyGroup’s branding.

At the time it promised cheaper fares for customers.

But observations carried out by inspectors on one day last year found 40 per cent of its service were either later or failed to operate.

In response to some of the allegations, Mr Martin claimed the company’s vehicles had been sabotaged.

However, the report highlighted a catalogue of maintenance issues, including one occasion where the wheels literally fell off.

In relation to the incident on the A483 on July 19, 2018, Mr Jones said: “The driver had reported a rumbling noise from the rear at approximately 17:15 and was asked if it could be limped back to the depot at reduced speed, the outer wheel became detached however it stayed close to the vehicle.

“These wheels had been removed from the nearside rear axle after a temporary repair had been effected at the roadside.

“It was confirmed that the wheel studs, nuts and wheels had been replaced and the vehicle returned to service for the morning of 19 July 2018.

“At the hearing before me I asked whether the examiner was of the view that the vehicle should not have been on the road, he confirmed that this was the case.”

Other decisions taken by Mr Jones included revoking and refusing the passenger transport licence held by two related companies, named as Express Airport Transfers and TLS (Wales) Ltd trading as Easybus.

He also disqualified employee John Alan Jackson from acting as a transport manager until he re-qualifies.

You can read the full written report here here.

The Skiers Lodge Ltd (TSL) had been awarded a three year contract to operate the public information office in Wrexham Bus Station on behalf of Wrexham Council – we have asked the council for comment on this afternoons news.

UPDATE:
Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, told us: “We are aware of the Traffic Commissioner’s published decision regarding the operation of bus services by this company. Wrexham Council cancelled all of our contracts with this company due to poor performance issues prior to the public enquiry.

“We do have a separate contract for the operation of the information shop at Wrexham Bus Station.”

By Liam Randall – BBC Local Democracy Reporter (more here on the LDR scheme). / Wrexham.com