Bus firm loses licence after running too many vehicles

THE operating licence of a local bus firm has been revoked, after investigations discovered it was running more buses than it was authorised to.

Traffic Commissioner for Scotland Joan Aitken called Passenger Travel Ltd of Inchross, Bathgate, to a public inquiry in Edinburgh on October 13 and again on November 24 after an adverse report from bus compliance officers. It was the operator's third time at public inquiry.

The inquiry heard the company was operating more buses than it was licensed to run, paying other companies to borrow their licence discs.

Ms Aitken found that the firm's director, Steven Chalmers, no longer had repute and revoked the operator's licence.

In her decision, Ms Aitken said: "Having balanced the positives against the negatives, I come to the sad conclusion that Mr Chalmers cannot be trusted to operate compliantly and that I can no longer regard him as a person of repute."

The company had operated services between Craigshill and Blackridge, Blackridge and Livingston and Eastfield.