The revocation and disqualification come after undertakings issued in January were not honoured
The failure of Harnaik Singh Bassi, sole Director and Transport Manager (TM) of Huddersfield Coach Hire and Greenline Bus Co, to comply with a number of undertakings led to the revocation of their licences and the disqualification of Mr Bassi from holding a licence for two years by Deputy Traffic Commissioner (DTC) Gillian Elkins.
The DTC also disqualified Mr Bassi from acting as a Transport Manager (TM) indefinitely, directing that he cannot seek to have his repute restored until he had passed a fresh TM’s CPC exam.
Huddersfield Coach Hire, trading as Bassi Travel, with a seven-vehicle licence, and Greenline Bus Co, with a five-vehicle licence, both of Waterloo, Huddersfield, appeared before the DTC at a Leeds Public Inquiry (PI).
At the PI in January, the DTC considered an unsatisfactory maintenance investigation and a complaint about a vehicle put back on the road in an unsatisfactory condition, which broke down with schoolchildren on board.
Vehicle Examiner Michael Mann reported that the maintenance facilities were inadequate and that there was an overlap between the two companies in the way that the vehicles were managed and operated. The DTC adjourned that hearing after six undertakings were given relating to vehicle maintenance, the appointment of a new TM and the restructuring of the companies.
When the hearing continued, the DTC said that in February a Greenline vehicle was given an immediate prohibition at annual test, which was completely unacceptable.
For the two companies, Simon Newman said that it was admitted that a number of the undertakings had not been complied with and others only partially complied with. The plan was that only Greenline was to continue operating. An application had been prepared to increase that licence to 12 vehicles and the Huddersfield licence would be surrendered.
Mr Bassi said that in relation to the undertaking to employ an external maintenance contractor, they had tried everywhere. The majority were unable to accommodate double-deckers, which were the majority of the fleet.
In April, Huddersfield Commercials agreed to take on the single-deckers. The majority of the maintenance was being done in-house. They had tried really hard to find a new TM within the deadline without success. A Kenneth Shaw was now free and available and was being put forward for Greenline. Mr Shaw was 78 years old with acquired rights. The issue over the workshop was a lack of undercover facilities, and that was now being rectified. An additional mechanic had been taken on since January.
The DTC said that the undertakings given at the first hearing had not been honoured in varying degrees. In particular, the operator did not appoint an external maintenance contractor to conduct PMIs and carry out the associated rectification work and significant advisory items. She rejected Mr Bassi’s reasons for failing to comply with that undertaking.
Mr Bassi had not only failed to fulfil that undertaking, but had instead implemented an even less effective system. Consequently the inspection and maintenance system shared by both companies was unreliable, unsafe, ineffective and non-compliant.
