ONE of Manchester's biggest bus companies has been suspended from operating on any of its routes by the traffic watchdog.
The jointly-operated UK North and Greater Manchester Buses Ltd have been ordered to garage their fleet of 74 buses after a public inquiry, sparked by a fatal accident, revealed a catalogue of safety concerns.
Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell took the action to "ensure road safety during the festive period".
And she slammed the way the firms' 130 drivers were assessed and trained, saying that the firms were using "real roads, real people and real vehicles" to practise driving.
The suspension will last until January 2, when the inquiry into the companies' fitness to operate will continue. The firms' buses cover more than 3m miles a year on Manchester's roads, including a number of school routes.
The probe was ordered following the death of 27-year-old window cleaner Martin Pilling on November 1. And it follows a series of incidents involving the companies' buses, including one where a bus crashed into a bridge, ripping the roof off.
Three days after last month's fatal accident - which involved a Polish driver - police and inspectors from Vehicle and Operator Services Agency swooped on the companies' Gorton Lane HQ.
After inspecting 28 buses, 16 were issued with prohibition notices for a range of faults, from problems with their braking and steering systems to suspension defects. As a result, a further raid was carried out when police and VOSA seized documents from the Gorton Lane base and director Vincenzo Casale's home in Glossop.
This revealed concerns over alleged excessive driver hours and highlighted that in the seven months before the raid, company buses had been issued 34 notices of intended prosecution from the police, mostly for speeding and red light offences.
Quizzed
Mr Casale and co-directors, including his brother Ernesto, were quizzed by Mrs Bell about a week after Mr Pilling's death.
They were asked to provide evidence of the training their foreign drivers were receiving and the standards they had reached before yesterday's hearing in Warrington. But Mrs Bell said she had received nothing and was not convinced by the companies' arguments.
She said: "There are a handful of cases where the Traffic Commissioner must take action to protect the travelling public and this is one of those cases. I have to put public interest first."
As well as the fatal accident this year, the inquiry heard a list of other incidents which VOSA had concerns about.
These ranged from a bus driving the wrong way on a one-way street to a Polish driver ripping the roof off a double decker in October this year because he was lost and didn't recognise a number of warning signs.
Insisted
Giving evidence in their defence, the Casale brothers and their senior staff insisted that their assessment and training systems were robust.
Vincenzo Casale admitted he didn't know how many of his drivers could speak English, but he said that 100 of them were Polish.
GMB transport director and UK North employee Colin Walker said their employees spoke enough English to do their jobs and understood a lot more.
The firms' solicitor, Chris Charlesworth, denied that any drivers had worked excessive hours and said the confusion surrounded overtime payments.
A number of the companies' senior staff gave verbal evidence that the drivers were assessed and trained individually and Ernesto Casale said they would undertake to bring in external driving assessors.
Brother Vincenzo said they would also ensure that all staff had at least five days' training, no matter what level they were at.
A UK North driver arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving is on bail following the fatal accident on November 1.
What do you think? Have your say.
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Andy, Wythenshawe (23/12/2006 at 10:48)
Dr. Roy A. Wogelius, Withington (23/12/2006 at 13:10)
As anyone who regularly uses buses in Manchester already knows, the bus service in this city is absolutely appalling. Filthy buses that do not keep to schedule, improperly trained drivers, improvised routes, as well as poor service to anywhere besides Owens Park are some in a long list of problems. One or two companies TRY to maintain standards, however UK North is without question the worst of the lot. It is a real tragedy that somebody had to die before anyone in power took action. The Council should be ashamed of itself. Perhaps this public inquiry will bring some small consolation to Mr. Pilling's family; if the buses in Manchester become properly regulated as a result of his death at least he didn't die in vain.
Is needless death what it takes to get transport properly regulated in this city? Perhaps an ordinance requiring city officials to take public transport to work might also help.
With sadness,
Dr. Roy A. Wogelius
Withington
Dave, Salford (23/12/2006 at 13:41)
Ian, Victoria Park, Manchester (23/12/2006 at 14:24)
John M, Rusholme (23/12/2006 at 14:54)
G. Rice, Todmorden (23/12/2006 at 15:00)
Apart from their school services, removal of UK North from Manchester's roads will make little difference to passengers, as all their routes duplicate high-frequency services provided by others.
Our European neighbours must think we're bonkers.
John, Manchester (23/12/2006 at 15:18)
the kell, Reykjavik (23/12/2006 at 15:58)
Jay, Manchester (23/12/2006 at 17:11)
Chris, stockport (23/12/2006 at 17:16)
doesnt look like things have altered at all .The buses were bad and poorly maintained with a disreguard for any defects mentioned by the drivers.
King Arthur, Withington (23/12/2006 at 18:01)
Joe, Stockport (23/12/2006 at 18:49)
ex mancunian, sydney australia (23/12/2006 at 20:01)
I have holidayed with relatives in Manchester on numerous occasions & cannot believe the absolute horrendous state of the now privately owned bus sevices there.
We had our faults way back in the 'sixties' but nothing, absolutely nothing to compare with the filthy, mechanical pieces of junk that now masquerade as buses & time tables that are laughable.
It seems to me that the sooner the bus service is once again in the hands of Manchester Corporation the better it will be for the people of my home town.
Djay, Manchester (23/12/2006 at 20:15)
happy bus driver, manchester (23/12/2006 at 22:43)
Dave, prestwich (24/12/2006 at 04:09)
Bad bus drivers do exist(Polish ones too-according to the MEN) and when one has a crash it's in the headlines, which is fair enough as high standards are expected of professional drivers, Polish or otherwise, but from my own experience bus drivers are amongst the best drivers, as are lorry drivers. Those amongst the worst seem to be from Prestwich and drive people carriers and jeeps(none of which are ever full). People seem to think that these are safer,which may be true if they were'nt driven as if the driver thought they were indestructable(They're not indestructable,as I have found after driving the fire engine to several crashes over the years including one last week)
Alix, manchester (26/12/2006 at 23:11)
Craig, Hazel Grove (27/12/2006 at 03:50)
thankyou
Muslim, Manchester (27/12/2006 at 10:31)
The drivers don't have a uniform and can be smoking and talking on their phones at the same time. They are still however, popular buses because they are cheap!
I'm glad I don't have to travel by bus anymore. If the govt want to reduce congestion around city centres- it might make sense to ensure that buses don't crash into low bridges first....
Jimmy, Bolton (27/12/2006 at 12:01)
People say that the railways should be renationalised as well, but after 10years ( these things take time ) the trains and stations are new and from my experience much better than foreign railway services.
Jimmy, Bolton (27/12/2006 at 12:02)
Matt F, Harrogate, UK (27/12/2006 at 12:46)
It's just the one rediculas plan by the government being considered. they want a scrapping age for cars at 10 years. I think it's rediculas as for a young driver like me, I'd rather have an old banger as they are simple to maintain. None of all this nonesense with electronic componenents in the engines like the cars made in the past 10-15 years.
Though I have a full license I'll still continue to use the bus when I can, as I prefer to do my bit for the enviroment.
Matt F, Harrogate, UK (27/12/2006 at 12:51)
Though I'm surprised UK North have been going on this long with such a poor fleet.
mrs fotheringham, chorlton (27/12/2006 at 13:56)
the bus service used to be the back bone of this country. now its not even the bit behind the elbow.
tsk!
Ace Riley, manchester (27/12/2006 at 14:07)