Council takes on new school transport provider to replace scandal-hit firm

Birmingham Council has brought in Healthcare and Transport Services (HATS) as its new home-to-school transport provider from September.

The London-based firm replaces North Birmingham Travel (NBT), which had its contract with the authority terminated last week after it emerged drivers had failed DBS checks.

North Birmingham Travel is one of two companies, along with County Cars, lined up by Sandwell Council to take over a £22 million contract to run its school transport services.

The awarding of the contract was placed on hold after the Express & Star revealed the firms are run by ex-council employee Azeem Hafeez, the son of the authority's former deputy leader Mahboob Hussain, both of whom were named in the 2016 Wragge report on council land deals.

Council leader Rajbir Singh has pledged an independent investigation into how the contract was awarded, although an internal probe sanctioned by the Labour-run authority found "no initial evidence of financial wrongdoing, impropriety or non-compliance with the procurement and contract procedure rules".

In a letter to parents, Mary Jefferson, head of home to school transport at Birmingham Council, said: "You may have heard that the City Council has terminated our contract with North Birmingham Travel (NBT) and we are aware that this may have created some anxiety for families that have relied on NBT for their home to school transport.

"I write to reassure you that we have secured an alternative supplier, Healthcare and Transport Services (HATS) to take over the contract previously operated by NBT.

"I am aware that some people will have heard this news via social media in the first instance, and I apologise that you are only just hearing from us formally.

"If you have received a letter already stating that NBT will be your transport provider for next term, apologies, that will now have changed to HATS.

"The issues that we uncovered with NBT arose as we carried out additional compliance checks on providers relating to their readiness for the new school year.

"This is a rigorous set of checks that we now perform to ensure that the highest levels of health and safety are in place at all times.

"During these checks, we found that NBT had not reached the high standards that we require.

"We have acted quickly to replace the supplier, which is now HATS and we are now transferring existing travel arrangements across to the new provider."

HATS has provided school transport for a number of other local authorities, including several in London.