C.E.F.N. Tacsi Cyf, a company formed by a former Director of Express Motors (Penygroes), Kevin Wyn Jones, has to wait to see whether its bid for a new national licence succeeds or not.
The firm of 1 Osmond Terrace, Penrhyndeudraeth, sought a new a three-vehicle licence before Traffic Commissioner (TC) Nick Jones at a Welshpool Public Inquiry. The TC is to announce his decision in writing at a later date.
When the Express Motors (Penygroes)’s licence was revoked along with the licence of the associated Eric Wyn Jones and Jean Ann Jones, trading as Express Motors, Kevin Wyn Jones was disqualified from acting as a Transport Manager (TM) until he had undertaken a three-day refresher course [routeone/Court Report/6 September 2017).
In addition, he is one of the Directors of that company facing trial for concessionary fare fraud at Caernarfon Crown Court in September [routeone/Court Report/10 January]. The TC said that the pending prosecution would not be part of his deliberations.
Among the issues he would be considering was that Foster Tachographs had described Kevin Wyn Jones’ arrangements as haphazard. His competence and skills had been severely criticised by his family and the DVSA.
The TC commented that Fosters had said that there was a sea change in organisation and culture of compliance after Kevin Wyn Jones left Express Motors. His sister had suggested he had interfered with what she wanted to do, when a licence application by Express Motors Caernarfon was refused [routeone/Court Report/7 March].
He had been involved in arrangements that were agreed had led to illegal operation earlier this year involving the lending of a licence disc by Nefyn Coaches [routeone/Court Report/4 April].
There was also the wheel loss incident which occurred when Kevin Wyn Jones was in charge of the Express Motors business. DVSA was withering about the culture in that company. Those criticisms appeared to have been endorsed by Fosters. Since Kevin Wyn Jones’ disqualification he had attended a three-day refresher course and the disqualification had ended. However, events that had come to light since affected his repute as a TM.
For the company, John Dyne said that there was no evidence of anything unlawful against Kevin Wyn Jones. He had not been present at the hearing of the Express Motors Caernarfon case and had had no opportunity to answer those criticisms.
There had been “a lot of mudslinging”. He had had no part to play in the illegal operation after 31 December and he had been vilified. An arrangement was made for Nefyn Coaches to use its own coach and driver to do a school trip in January. That did not happen as a Nefyn Coaches driver did not turn in and Ian Jones of Express Motors said that they would cover it. He only had the finance for a one-vehicle licence so it would be a very small operation. He had engaged a transport consultant and arranged for Fosters to carry out audits. Safeguards were in place and he should be allowed to operate what was a very, very limited operation.
Kevin Wyn Jones said that they would have a contract with Everton Football Supporters Club commencing in August. He could not understand the claim that he had prevented his sister from implementing the Foster recommendations. He accepted he had been in control of both previous licences. Between October and December they had prioritised setting up the new company rather than implementing the Foster recommendations.
“I can’t understand why there has been so much back-stabbing,” he said.
