Travel Express / Lets Go

[Busboy105]

https://www.route-one.net/legal/licence-cut-and-6k-fine-for-travel-express/

So does that mean that Travel Express is no more?

[Tony]

So does that mean that Travel Express is no more?

Why don't you read it?

[justlookingaround]

Just so people don't have to register to see it, it was in this week's issue too.

https://www.route-one.net/legal/licence-cut-and-6k-fine-for-travel-express/

TC rules that responsibility for maintaining vehicles and timetable planning should no longer be current TM's
The O-Licence held by Wolverhampton-based Travel Express, trading as Let's Go, has been cut from 20 vehicles to 15 and the company ordered to pay a £6,000 penalty for failing to operate to registered timetables by Traffic Commissioner (TC) Nick Denton.

The TC also directed that to avoid loss of repute as Transport Manager (TM), Director Kishan Chumber must, by the end of February, cease maintaining vehicles himself and appoint at least one IRTEC accredited mechanic with overall responsibility for maintenance, or contract maintenance out entirely; and appoint an additional TM with lead responsibility for timetable planning and monitoring and management and disciplining of drivers.

He imposed undertakings on the O-Licence that roller brake tests would be carried out every 12 weeks and that vehicles would be inspected every six weeks.

In January 2015 TC Nick Jones disqualified Mr Chumber from acting as a TM until he passed a further CPC exam [routeone/Court Report/4 February 2015].

The company's O-Licence was subsequently revoked [routeone/Court Report/4 February 2015 and September 2015]. It was granted a fresh O-Licence on condition that Mr Chumber had nothing to do with vehicle maintenance, and that he employed a full time TM and a skilled mechanic [routeone/Court Report/23 March 2016].

Mr Chumber appeared before the TC in January, when his repute was restored and he became the company's TM. In his decision the TC said that the restoration of Mr Chumber's repute was followed by seven roadworthiness prohibitions in 2019 and a very poor MOT pass rate of 65%.

The same timetabling incompetence which had caused TC Jones to ban Mr Chumber in 2016 from any involvement in timetabling had re-emerged since that ban was lifted in January 2019. There was some evidence that vehicles had been deliberately run a few minutes ahead of rivals, regardless of the timetable.

It was difficult to reach any other conclusion than that Mr Chumber had slipped back to his old slipshod methods of management, timetabling and operating.

The TC accepted that on the whole he had good intentions and was not setting out deliberately to fail to comply, but he feared that history suggested that he might not have it in him to be a compliant operator over an extended period of time.

Part of the problem appeared to be that Mr Chumber was spread too thinly. He was responsible as Director for the running of the business generally, as TM for scheduling, driver management and discipline and general oversight of compliance, and all that while performing much of the maintenance on the company's vehicles.

The TC had regard to the fact that the route where the principal non-compliance was found was long and congested and even the biggest operator could struggle to run to timetable. He had also borne in mind that passengers tended to be less inconvenienced by a failure to run to time on a route with multiple alternative operators who provided a frequent service.

Against those mitigating factors was a potentially aggravating factor of deliberate early running in front of a rival's service; and the fact that the company had been fined before for non-compliant running which did not seem to have made any lasting improvements.

This was really the company's last chance to get things right. He doubted that the O-Licence could survive another Public Inquiry (PI).

[Stuharris 6360]

Haven't quoted because it's to large.

The thing is over the last number of years we have been here before, everytime things are meant to change and they don't.

High MOT failures, poor maintainance, none compliance to timetables meaning running in front of rival operators buses and the final comment "This was really the company's last chance to get things right. He doubted that the O-Licence could survive another Public Inquiry (PI).", my honest thought, should it have survived this PI.

[winston]

Just so people don't have to register to see it, it was in this week's issue too.

https://www.route-one.net/legal/licence-cut-and-6k-fine-for-travel-express/

You don't need to register to view it.

Just view the latest issue of the magazine.
https://www.route-one.net/issue-825/

[Pat]

"The TC had regard to the fact that the route where the principal non-compliance was found was long and congested and even the biggest operator could struggle to run to timetable. He had also borne in mind that passengers tended to be less inconvenienced by a failure to run to time on a route with multiple alternative operators who provided a frequent service."


I wouldn't have said that the 11 was "long and congested" and neither is the 32 particularly.

[Stuharris 6360]

"The TC had regard to the fact that the route where the principal non-compliance was found was long and congested and even the biggest operator could struggle to run to timetable. He had also borne in mind that passengers tended to be less inconvenienced by a failure to run to time on a route with multiple alternative operators who provided a frequent service."


I wouldn't have said that the 11 was "long and congested" and neither is the 32 particularly.

If you look at the timetable for the 11, it is just asking for trouble.

The journey time from Underhill to Wolverhampton bus station is timed at 17 minutes all day Monday to Friday, that will never work because rush hour traffic flows will always increase journey time especially in and out of a major city like Wolverhampton. The NX 11 jorney time goes from 15 minutes to 23 minutes depending on time of day.

[Pat]

Has the Streetlite returned from repair yet as I haven't seen it out for ages.  The 303 is still in the hands of PN07KRZ.  Wouldn't have thought TfWM would be particularly happy with a vehicle not in company livery.  No 'Let's Go' logos on it at all so passengers have no idea who the operator is without looking at the timetable.

[karl724223]

Has the Streetlite returned from repair yet as I haven't seen it out for ages.  The 303 is still in the hands of PN07KRZ.  Wouldn't have thought TfWM would be particularly happy with a vehicle not in company livery.  No 'Let's Go' logos on it at all so passengers have no idea who the operator is without looking at the timetable.

how many buses and livery have diamond got that doesn't seem to bother the great tfwm

[Pat]

how many buses and livery have diamond got that doesn't seem to bother the great tfwm

But at least they've got company logos on them so passengers know what company it is.

[karl724223]

But at least they've got company logos on them so passengers know what company it is.

like Wessex connect that park up down Stourbridge

[Trident 4194]

like Wessex connect that park up down Stourbridge

It's adding a bit of colour to the otherwise dull West Midlands. They're in process of reps longing those Volvos anyway

[justlookingaround]

Has the Streetlite returned from repair yet as I haven't seen it out for ages.  The 303 is still in the hands of PN07KRZ.  Wouldn't have thought TfWM would be particularly happy with a vehicle not in company livery.  No 'Let's Go' logos on it at all so passengers have no idea who the operator is without looking at the timetable.

Considering the E200s have been getting painted allover white instead of red as with the Darts, you could say that is their livery now...

[mranon]

the e200s purchased arrived white, but they also have some e200s purchased in other liveries too. id have thought this was an opportunity to send them out in livery all smart and keep on top of them, change the image of the company.

[Pat]

Considering the E200s have been getting painted allover white instead of red as with the Darts, you could say that is their livery now...

LJ56 LDC was white before it was at TEX.