Wolverhampton buses stopped as licence revoked over 'grave concerns about road safety'

Traffic Commissioner Nick Jones said there were 'serious and immediate road safety considerations' over Travel Express in Wolverhampton.

The company's boss, Kishan Chumber, has lodged an appeal but Mr Jones has refused to allow the company to continue to provide the bus service while they wait for the outcome of the appeal.

Mr Jones said: "Formally, the operator no longer has the necessary professional competence, the grace period has long expired and the licence is revoked.

"I have grave concerns about road safety due to the lack of a competent transport manager in place and they are sufficiently severe for me to determine that this operator should cease running any public service vehicles."

Mr Chumber had been banned in January from managing the transport service as he was judged as no longer satisfying the criteria of the Public Services Vehicle Act 1981 which stated he must be of good repute and professionally competent.

But at the hearing on August 11 it emerged that Mr Chumber was still managing the service, despite being ordered to employ a transport manager.

David Parry was supposed to assume this role of transport manager but in a letter drafted by Penkridge Ltd, where he is a director, and read out by Mr Jones he said: "After numerous discussions we have drawn the conclusion that despite assurances from you that the nominated transport manager will have the autonomy to have full and effective control, this is obviously not going to be the case.

"The Traffic Commissioner laboured this point with you and you gave him assurances that you would comply."

Alternate service on Travel Express's old routes is being provided by National Express West Midlands.

Travel Express were in trouble earlier this year after an inquiry into their service found that they had been putting passengers at risk with some of their buses having corroded brakes.

Mr Jones who led the inquiry in January branded the firm 'amateurish' and called their manager Kishan Chumber 'hopeless'.

He said: "It is not a mere matter of employing another individual to perform the role of transport manager, the condition of vehicles and the levels of professionalism within the business needs to be raised far higher.

"I do not actively seek to close the business down, but if it has to close as a result of my decisions, then so be it."

The findings of the inquiry led to Travel Express having to reduce their number of buses from 13 to eight, pay a fine of £6,500 and not open any new bus routes before 2016.