Xelabus has been ordered to pay a penalty of £1,650 over service reliability issues on its service X6/X7 between Eastleigh and Chandlers Ford.
The Eastleigh-based operator, with a 30-vehicle licence, had been called before Traffic Commissioner (TC) Kevin Rooney at a Bristol Public Inquiry because of concern over the timekeeping on the service and vehicle maintenance issues.
DVSA Bus Operator Accounts Manager Hugh McMullen reported that 22 journeys out of 58 monitored were non-compliant. Monitoring took place in two periods: 17-19 May 2016 and from 17-19 October 2016. The company claimed reasonable excuse for all but one event of early running.
In relation to the May monitoring, Director and Transport Manager Gareth Blair said that since January 2016 the service had seen long delays due to significant roadworks on Leigh Road, which would be completed in summer 2016. Leigh Road was the main corridor route between Eastleigh and Chandlers Ford.
Mr Blair responded to October’s monitoring by taking issue with 11 instances of late running, referring to a bus being held up by a delivery lorry reversing. Three more delays were alleged to be caused by a car transporter unloading outside an Audi dealership.
Mr McMullen did hear from the dealership that cars were delivered that morning, but the dealership was inconclusive as to whether loading was on the road or on-site.
With the absence any real meaningful evidence from the company, he considered that reasonable excuse was made out in relation to four occasions only. He found it incomprehensible that the company sought to blame 20- and 17-minute delays on a lorry.
It followed that he found 18 out of 58 journeys non-compliant – a high non-compliance rate of 31%. As evidence suggested that the service operated with three buses, some 10% of the overall authorisation, and Mr McMullen had no evidence of compliance levels on other routes, he applied a penalty of 10% x 30 x £550 which is £1,650.
In relation to maintenance the company gave three undertakings: Every fourth PMI would be conducted by a properly trained, qualified and equipped external contractor; all technicians would achieve IRTEC Inspection Technician accreditation by 30 April 2018 and one would attain IRTEC Master Technician by 31 October 2018; and there would be a quarterly audit of maintenance systems submitted to OTC Bristol.
Taking no action other than to issue a warning, the TC said that he considered this was an operator who appeared to have the systems in place to manage compliance but needed to strengthen how those systems were deployed.
