The licence held by Crosville Motor Services (CMS) has been cut from 35 vehicles to 24, by Traffic Commissioner (TC) Kevin Rooney.
CMS had again appeared before the TC at a Bristol public inquiry (PI), as further issues arose after a PI on 28 March.
In March vehicle maintenance issues were explored with the company, of Westland Distribution Park, Weston-Super Mare, which holds a 35-vehicle international licence.
Former CMS driver Neil Canter, who wrote to the TC after the report in routeone of the last hearing, said that he had been driving a vehicle with the engine cover open. The police did not want him to continue, but he was instructed to do so.
On another occasion he had been driving a hybrid bus and it was travelling at around 5mph up a hill. He had had no training on the hybrid bus. He agreed that he had told his supervisor that he had fixed the engine cover.
The Vehicle Examiner Gary Ford said that on 5 April he examined a single-decker displaying a CMS licence disc during a roadside check. He issued a delayed prohibition for two oil leaks and insecure engine mounting bolts. The MoT had expired on 22 December 2016.
Christopher Jones said that he had been brought into CMS in April as a trouble shooter and would become a Transport Manager (TM) on the licence. He found that CMS had all the necessary procedures and documentation in place but they were not being followed as they should have been.
Consequently he drew up an action plan ensuring 100% compliance. Operations were scaled back at the same time.
He had investigated who had moved a vehicle hired form Carmel Coaches that had been given an immediate prohibition. The driver had been unable to remember who instructed him to do so. MD Jonathan Jones-Pratt was aware the vehicle should not have been moved. He felt that the instruction was not given by a Director.
In relation to the vehicle with the engine cover problem the supervisor was adamant that he had not told Mr Canter to continue on service, but to bring it back to depot if safe to do so. If hybrid vehicles were not started or shut down properly, there were problems.
There were 74 occasions when the vehicle concerned was not shut down properly. When that was removed from its memory it ran properly. A complete training package was being put together for drivers. He maintained that the vehicle was not drivable when it de-rated.
The TC wanted to know why that vehicle was used three and four days after the last PI, when it again had problems after he had expressed concerns about its use. He said that he was being told that the problem had a minimal effect on the driving of hybrid vehicles, but that was not what the drivers were saying.
Mr Jones-Pratt said that following the last PI he had taken advice from the manufacturer Wrightbus. He had been assured that these vehicles were not unsafe. The vehicle given the delayed prohibition in April was part of his private heritage fleet. Staff had been disciplined over the fact it was out of test.
He believed that the movement of the immediately prohibited vehicle was due to miscommunication. He had set up Southern National last year and transferred senior management including himself from CMS. Christopher Hilditch had been recruited as Acting MD of CMS.
John Fitzpatrick, MD of Flintshire Truck & Bus, produced a copy of an inspection record on which it was alleged that a signature had been forged previously said to have been lost by CMS.
Director Raymond Lunney denied that the vehicle had been put back in service, saying that it had been VOR’d before being scrapped.
In his decision the TC said that a significant number of prohibitions had been issued to CMS vehicles. The continued use of vehicles with recurring defects, including the issue with the hybrid bus, was unacceptable.
Control of the traffic office or “operations” by the Directors had been inadequate. Vehicles had suffered serious mechanical failures, including the near detachment of a half-shaft and a pair of road wheels. That case arose directly from poor maintenance.
The management team had been significantly strengthened with the addition of Mr Hilditch and Mr Jones. The business was setting itself apart from the sister company, Southern National. Plans were in place to bring maintenance back in-house with certified fitting staff.
He required undertakings that Mr Hilditch become a statutory Director within 28 days.
The company would inform him within seven days if either Mr Hilditch or Mr Jones left the business. The hybrid bus with the difficult problems would be withdrawn from service with immediate effect until the manufacturer confirmed that the issues relating to limp mode were resolved. That might include confirmation that the drivers had received appropriate training.
