Carmel Coaches Loses Operators Licence for 18 Months

If there is anything companies in the transport sector know for sure, it is the fact that even the smallest violation could cost you your operator’s licence for a significant amount of time. Therefore, it is rather surprising that Carmel Coaches Ltd continued to operate in violation of the law even after having been approached 15 times by government inspectors.

The Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency (DVSA) recently issued its final report after an exhaustive investigation conducted along with the police and numerous other government agencies. The investigation uncovered numerous problems including poor record-keeping and mechanical defects among the company’s fleet of buses. The investigation was motivated by the company’s application to increase the size of its fleet early last year.

As a result of the investigation, Traffic Commissioner Sarah Bell imposed the following punishments:

• the operating licence of Caramel Coaches will be revoked for 18 months beginning July 31
• the company’s owners are banned from operating for 18 months, effective immediately
• the owners may also not work as transport managers for other companies during the same period.

Unfortunately, a Caramel Coaches bus was involved in a fatal accident on May 13. The accident claimed two lives and caused injuries to dozens of other passengers. It is not clear whether the same mechanical defects found during the DVSA investigation had anything to do with that accident, but it is reasonable to assume accident investigators will now be looking at that angle. If they find any positive proof, there could be criminal proceedings in the future.

Safety Always Comes First

We do not normally talk about such serious incidents in our daily blog. However, we believe it was important to address this situation in light of the fact that safety should always come first in the haulage and transport industries. This is especially true with coaches and buses, as these are carrying human beings rather than inanimate cargo.

When an individual earns a PCV licence to drive a coach or bus, he or she is taking on the responsibility of making sure each and every passenger remains safe. The companies operating these kinds of vehicles share an equal amount of responsibility, if not more. Allowing vehicles on the road with mechanical defects is inexcusable.

Here at the HGV Training Centre, we take great pride in the fact that we stress safety. Our goal is to produce drivers who not only make great employees, but who also make for safe drivers behind the wheel. We want every passenger who rides with one of our drivers to always be confident they will get where they are going safely.

For more information about earning your PCV licence, feel free to contact the HGV Training Centre at your convenience. Our instructional programmes are designed to prepare you for a career as a professional driver. We can train you for buses, coaches, articulated lorries, and more. You will find our training to be exceptionally thorough, affordable, and convenient to your schedule and location.

Sources:

Plymouth Herald – http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Carmel-Coaches-firm-involved-Looe-crash-stripped/story-21207970-detail/story.html