GRS Travel

[the trainbasher]

@OH25 should be one of the 2 X plates with hanovers fitted in it

[OH25]

@the trainbasher yes it did have a Hanover display but I didn't catch the registration number

[John]

They have a green and cream liveried Dart on the 11C
it should be by City Hospital now

I passed it today on Brookvale Road, but can not remember the reg. The livery reminds me of Grant Palmer (Identical but lime green instead of red ) https://www.flickr.com/photos/51738247@N03/14147850946/

The front grille was red with GRS Travel on it

[HTA844N]

The bus you saw yesterday was X608OKH

[Solo1]

Anyone Know what happened at the PI that GRS was at

[Solo1]

for those who haven't seen the latest buses of GRS  https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanjack/16489316814/

[Jaysnerz007]

why do u see the grs buses parked up in 2s or 3s on fox hollies road by the park some without any driver in them?

[the trainbasher]

why do u see the grs buses parked up in 2s or 3s on fox hollies road by the park some without any driver in them?

timetabled breaks in service

[Jaysnerz007]

seems convenient doesnt it

[the trainbasher]

seems convenient doesnt it

@Jaysnerz007 GRS Timings at Acocks Green

11C

AG Dep    -        -     0828 0858 1140 1210 1445 1515 1705 1735
AG Arr   0828 0858 1048 1118 1400 1430 1705 1735    -        -   

11A

AG Dep    -        -     0855 0925 1200 1230 1510 1540 1728 1758
AG Arr   0855 0925 1115 1145 1420 1450 1728 1758    -        -   

[Isle of Stroma]

Allegedly, the last two 11A services are due to pass Stechford at 17:42 & 18:12.

... Which doesn't satisfactorily explain why I saw two in service there tonight at 18:35 & 18:39....

[sarai949]

Any1 knows what happened at the Public Inquiry?

[justlookingaround]

http://www.route-one.net/legal/tc-not-impressed-by-operator/

In reserving decision over what action to take against the licence held by West Bromwich-based Gurdaver Ram, trading as GRS Travel, Traffic Commissioner (TC) Nick Jones said that he was not impressed by his level of professionalism.

Mr Ram, of Black Lake, Hill Top, West Bromwich, had been called before the TC at a Birmingham Public Inquiry (PI).

He appeared at a previous PI in January 2014 when his licence was cut from five to four vehicles, he was ordered to pay a penalty of £2,750, and a condition was placed on the licence in regard to operation in the Birmingham Statutory Quality Partnership Scheme (SQPS) (routeone, Court Report, 29 January 2014).

After financial evidence was heard in private, the TC said that it had been reported that vehicles had not been operated for six weeks or so because they were uninsured.

For Mr Ram, Tim Nesbitt said that the insurance was paid by instalments and there was insufficient money at the time. The insurance had since been paid up front for 12 months. The amount had tripled since 2009 due to claims and accidents by drivers who had since been dismissed.

Vehicle Examiner and Bus Operator Account Manager and service punctuality (BOAM) Andrew Male said that he carried out a maintenance investigation in September following an unsatisfactory investigation into service punctuality. Three vehicles were inspected and given immediate prohibitions.

As there were no inspection records available for a recent addition to the fleet it appeared that it was pressed into service without a safety inspection. Three buses presented for annual test all failed.

Mr Ram did not have sufficient roadworthy buses to maintain his service requirements, with both his spare buses off the road awaiting major repairs and one bus undergoing MoT preparation. That resulted in no buses operating on that day.

There had been little improvement in the maintenance systems since the last PI. At that time Mr Ram was disqualified as a Transport Manager (TM) and he was given a period of grace until the end of May to appoint a new TM, but there was no TM in place at the time of his visit.

Following the last PI, Mr Ram was instructed by the TC to operate route 16 in accordance with the SQPS. In February 2014 Mr Ram gave notice to withdraw that service and registered the operation of four buses on route 246.

In the same month Mr Male was contacted by Centro, which had concerns over buses not displaying the correct destination boards, not being properly liveried, and the reliability of the 16 service.

He monitored the 16 and 246 services on five days. The overall non-compliance rate for journeys which failed to operate, ran early or ran late was 70%. Five of the 45 journeys observed were displaying incorrect destination boards.

Centro had threatened to ban Mr Ram from Dudley and Stourbridge bus stations for non-compliant timetables, but he volunteered to leave. Centro had also received complaints from another operator that GRS Travel buses were deliberately driving just in front of their buses instead of operating to their own timetable.

The monitoring and a bus riding exercise confirmed that GRS buses were running just in front of a rival operator's buses in an attempt to win passengers. On occasions buses were driven at speeds obviously well below normal road speeds.

During a BOAM visit in October, Mr Ram had said he had cancelled the 246 registration and had registered to operate services 11a and 11c, the Birmingham 'outer circle'.

Mr Ram said that during 2014 he had been seriously ill for around five months until September. Although he was able to supervise things a bit, he had to delegate most of the management to his daughter.

They had advertised nationally for a TM but the position was hard to fill. At just about the last minute they found Paul Foley, but he resigned the day after his appointment. They managed to find Anthony Fryett, who had started in January.

As part of their efforts to improve things they had moved to a new bus garage at Bilston, in part because of its workshop facilities. They had taken on the existing mechanic who had worked there. Following the maintenance investigation he had got rid of him, and recruited a new mechanic in November who he believed was doing a good job. He had invested in two new vehicles this month.

Mr Fryett, who was 78 years old, said that he had not been a nominated TM on an O-Licence before. He did not have a contract with Mr Ram but was paid £70 a week for four afternoons. He had obtained his CPC in 1988. He had not had any TM refresher training since the 1990s.

[Stuharris 6360]

Doesn't look good does it!

[barry619]

Doesn't look good does it!

No, and from reading that it would seem that this is a business which has no place in an industry competing with other operators who do bother to run in a compliant manner. It should have led to a revocation of the licence, as simple as that.