Shropshire bus route operator banned after fleet inspection found 'passenger safety put at very serious risk'
A coach company which ran a service in south Shropshire has had its licence revoked after "the worst fleet inspection" a commissioner had ever seen.
Herefordshire-based Lugg Valley Travel, which previously operated a service between Ludlow and Hereford via Leominster, has been disqualified from holding any type of operator’s licence for four years, after a fleet inspection found passengers and road users were "put at real, and sometimes very serious, risk".
The traffic commissioner for the West Midlands, Miles Dorrington, imposed four-year disqualifications on the firm and its sole director, Nigel Yeomans, after saying he had never seen a worse fleet in his 17 years.
The firm's transport manager, Ian Davies, was also disqualified from holding that position for four years.
An investigation into the firm began following a vehicle fire in November 2024, which prompted an unannounced maintenance inspection from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in January this year.
All of six vehicles that were inspected on January 9 received prohibition notices, with three found to have "significant" maintenance failures.
One of the vehicles had three out of six wheel nuts loose on the nearside wheel. The wheel re-torque tag, dated two months earlier, contained a note from the tyre fitter stating: "New wheels needed!!! Customer use at their own risk!!!"
The commissioner noted there was "no evidence provided" to show that the wheel had been replaced since the note was added the previous November.
"This was a serious accident waiting to happen," Mr Dorrington's report added.
Another vehicle was found with a rear-view mirror with a "wholly insufficient repair" that would have meant the driver's view would have been impaired, while a third was found with an air leak "so bad that air pressure could not be sustained even with the engine running at fast idle".
"I can say with absolute certainty that this is the worst PSV [public service vehicle] fleet inspection that I have ever seen", the commissioner added.
“Passenger and road safety was repeatedly put at real, and sometimes very serious, risk over a long period of time."
Mr Dorrington acknowledged that Mr Yeomans and Mr Davies were "apologetic for what had happened" and had cooperated with the DVSA. The report also stated that a senior member of staff had been dismissed as a result of the investigation.
Lugg Valley Travel had ceased operations by the end of July, with some services - including the 490 between Ludlow and Hereford - transferred to Yeomans Canyon Travel.
In the wake of the ruling, Ludlow Councillor Andy Boddington has raised concerns over the future of the 490 service.
Yeomans Canyon Travel has been approached for comment.
