Hearing adjourned over bus firm claims

A bus company that runs services to 10 schools in Staffordshire and passenger routes in the Black Country can keep operating after a hearing into alleged maintenance lapses was adjourned.

Around 25 jobs including 15 drivers and three mechanics at Warstones Motors, trading as the Green Bus Service, hang in the balance because bosses could lose their licence after being hauled before the Traffic Commissioner. A hearing in Birmingham yesterday was adjourned to a date to be fixed so that Deputy Traffic Commissioner Lester Maddrell could call for evidence to back up allegations that the company had used a bus without a working power steering system.

Until then the company can operate as normal. Boss Graham Martin denies the claims about the power steering and said that all of his vehicles were roadworthy.

He blamed a series of lapses and MOT failures on "poor staff" who had now been replaced. The company has contracts with Staffordshire County Council to run school and passenger routes to Wolverhampton, Walsall, Lichfield and Great Wyrley.

Vehicle examiner Neil Brown said inspections since 2006 had found four out of 11 vehicles had expired tax discs when they called at the firm's base in Jacobs Hall Lane.

He said: "We have had to issue four notices of significant failure and 31 prohibition notices. " Problems noted by inspectors from the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA) included leaking fuel, a loose wheel nut and a power operated door that could not be opened manually when the engine of the bus was switched off. Mr Brown added: "The operator removed the older vehicles and replaced them with newer smaller ones with adequate inspection records."

* The Express & Star is happy to clarify that the Green Bus Service facing the hearing is in no way connected to the Green Bus or the Green Bus Transport Company, based in New Street, Birmingham, which has not had any questions raised about the roadworthiness of its vehicles.