Wessex Connect warned to run Bristol buses on time
Flights Hallmark, which operates in the city under the name Wessex Connect, was spared a fine by the commissioner, Sarah Bell, at a hearing in Temple Quay yesterday.
The public inquiry discussed a penalty for 53 cases of early running, as well as 60 late services, nine no-shows and 48 buses wrongly numbered on 19 days between January and June.
Bus compliance officers visited 354 buses on 25 of the company's services during the inspection period.
The hearing heard Wessex Connect, owned by Birmingham-based transport giant Rotala, had just taken over operations from South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach company when the inspections started.
Miss Bell decided not to fine the company but said inspectors would revisit the routes over the coming months to see if services improved.
"I can make them an offer – either to take a decision today or have the monitors out in a few months and see where the company is then," she said.
Most of the inspections centred on the company's normal passenger routes, including the 584, 585, 586, 587, 482, 483, 71 and 72 services.
The law judges services as early if they leave a stop more than a minute before schedule and late if they run five minutes or more behind.
Wessex Connect runs UWE's Ulink services and operates two park and rides at Long Ashton and Avonmouth.
The firm's Managing Director, Simon Dunn, Rotala director Bob Dunn and Steve Davies, operations manager at the Gypsy Patch Lane depot, said the culpable drivers were disciplined and some dismissed.
"Today the on-time performance of our business has significantly improved since the time of the report," said Mr Dunn.
"Changing the attitudes and culture of the drivers is not something that can be done at the flick of a switch but we are confident that progress has been made.
"We are ashamed to be here today but our company has a track record of learning from our mistakes."
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