A BUS firm which holds three school contracts with Scottish Borders Council in Peeblesshire has been sanctioned by the Traffic Commissioner.
McKendry’s Coaches, based in Loanhead, Midlothian, had two coaches removed from its licence for six months because of maintenance issues and a breach of licence conditions.
At a hearing in March, Deputy Traffic Commissioner for Scotland Simon Evans heard VOSA traffic and vehicle examiners conducted unsatisfactory maintenance inspections. Mr Evans also heard that since May 2010, 10 prohibitions had been issued; several being immediate and two because of loose wheel nuts. The hearing was also told of the continued poor MOT pass rate for the vehicles.
McKendry’s transport manager Nicola McCallum was reprimanded after it was discovered she had signed off a goods vehicles operator licence for another firm for five years, despite the company dissolving in 2004.
The number of vehicles on McKendry’s operator licence will reduce from 10 to eight, while Mrs McCallum is required to undertake refresher training within the next three months.
Colin Douglas, passenger transport manager with SBC, told TheSouthern: “The company is reviewing the situation and expects to be able to honour its commitments for Scottish Borders Council, as it can make changes to its operations in the Lothians, by adjusting its workload to the number of buses it is left with.”
The firm’s contracts with SBC run from north of Peeblesshire and West Linton into Peebles High School.