Immediate road safety concerns have led to the almost immediate banning of Caernarfon-based bus operator Tacsi Gwynedd, which ran as Huw’s Coaches, by Wales Traffic Commissioner (TC) Nick Jones. The firm also runs taxis.
The revocation of the firm’s O-Licence, which runs buses in Caernarfon and Pwllheli (93A, 1F, 1A, 12), from 2359hrs on 2 September followed a Welshpool Public Inquiry (PI) on 31 August that the operator failed to attend.
The TC concluded “most vehicles go out in an unsafe condition” and says there is “evidence of attempts to intimidate enforcement staff and false claims relating to a wheel loss incident.”
He has also banned Transport Manager Alan Vaughan Owen – who had not been performing the role, but instead was working full-time for a business in Abergavenny – and Directors Sion Edwards and Hugh Edwards from the industry.
Ahead of publishing full details for his decision, the TC said the reason for the almost-immediate ban was that: “Any later period places an unjustifiable risk on the travelling public.
“Aside from issues of trust and fair competition, there are very significant and immediate concerns for road safety.
“Hence my decision on a Friday lunchtime to make an order for closure of a business before the end of the weekend.
“I very much regret the inconvenience caused to the public as a result of the lack of notice, however their safety must be paramount.”
The PI heard that there had been attempts to intimidate DVSA enforcement staff and false claims were made about an incident when two wheels fell off a bus, with the operator falsely claiming that it was a tyre blow out.
