Bus firm receives ban for attempting to ‘mislead the public’

15 April 2009

A Perthshire bus company has been banned from operating public service routes for three and a half years following a public inquiry into the firm’s business practices.

The traffic commissioner for Scotland, Joan Aitken, prohibited Bankfoot Buses from holding or applying for a public service vehicle operator licence after attempting to ‘mislead the public’ by using similar branding and uniforms to rival firm Stagecoach.

Aitken also found the operator had ‘interfered with bus stop arrangements in Perth city centre to the detriment of road safety, traffic management and public expectations’.

The commissioner added that the firm had used a forged operator license disc and failed to provide registered services without a reasonable excuse.

‘The operator’s on/off approach to when he would run his registered services is as bad as it can get.

‘This is a serious case of wilful disregard of the regulatory regime and of very unusual and unprofessional behaviour,’ the commissioner said.

Handing down the punishments, deputy traffic commissioner, Richard McFarlane, said the firm’s owner, Sandy Kydd, was motivated by greed. He said all of the firm’s seven drivers – including Kydd – had exceeded legal driving times and six of them had created fake tachograph records.

The inquiry heard that Bankfoot Buses tried to boost their sales by offering free services, mulled wine and making donations to charity. The operator was also fined £1,650.

The organisation is appealing the decision and said it would continue to operate the route 22 service between Dunkeld and Perth, via Bankfoot and Waterloo, on a free basis.

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