Council Steps In to Find Replacement Bus Services After RJ’s / GHA Ruling

Wrexham Council have found bus services to take over some bus routes after RJ’s of Wem – connected to GHA Coaches – had their operator licence revoked.

Wrexham Council this afternoon has said: “Wrexham Council has successfully found bus companies to take on all but one of the routes affected following the recent decision by the Traffic Commissioner for Wales to revoke RJ’s of Wem’s Operator License.”

“The Council does not itself operate bus services, and has not done so since 1986 when bus services were deregulated, but it has undertaken an emergency tender process to encourage commercial operators to run the services with financial support from the Council.”

The Council say they are ‘pleased to announce’ that the local bus services will continue to operate from Monday 19 December, subject to the Traffic Commissioner’s approval, are:

• Service 64: Ceiriog Valley to Llangollen will be operated by Tanat Valley Coaches as per the existing timetable.
• Service 146: Wrexham to Whitchurch will be operated by D Jones and Son as per the existing timetable
• Service 17: Wrexham to Moss and Lodge will be operated by Wrexham Taxis 3 days per week (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday)
• Service 34: Wrexham to Burton & Trevalyn will be operated be Wrexham Taxis 3 days per week (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday)

Once the services have been approved members of the public will be able to view timetables on the Council’s website here.

The Council added: “Unfortunately, no commercial operator has shown any interest in running Service Number 6 (Wrexham to Ruabon/Pont Adam) so the service will cease to operate from Monday 19 December. The Council remains committed, however, to finding an operator for this service and will be undertaking another tender exercise for this route as soon as possible.”

Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Council officers have completed the tender exercise extremely quickly and efficiently and I would like to thank them for their hard work in doing so. Their efforts have ensured that the majority of the services that would have been lost following the Traffic Commissioner’s decision will now continue.

“The Council is not a provider of commercial public transport, but recognises the role it has to play in securing these services for the public and it will continue to seek a provider for the remaining service.

“I am continuing to work regionally with neighbouring authorities prior to the bus summit to be held in January with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport.”

Back in August we wrote how Arwyn Lloyd Davies, and Gareth Lloyd Davies both from Corwen were listed as Directors of GHA Coaches on Companies House, both were also listed as Directors of RJ’s of Wem Limited.

GHA Coaches had the registered office of Unit 11 Vauxhall Industrial Estate, Ruabon. RJ’s of Wem Limited had the registered office of Unit 10 Vauxhall Industrial Estate, Ruabon.

In September we the detailed directorship changes had occurred, and £5.2m was left owing to creditors when GHA Coaches went bust.