Pilkington's problems lead to local ban
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• Accrington-based Raymond and Mary Pilkington, trading as Pilkington's Coaches, have been banned from operating local services by North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Kenneth Birchall.
In addition, Birchall has directed that they repay 20% of the fuel duty rebate grant the firm has received over the past three months, because of a persistent failure to operate local services as registered.
Christopher Anslow, area public transport co-ordinator for Lancashire County Council, said he had written to the Traffic Commissioner seven times between January and September, asking that action be taken because of the firm's failure to operate registered services.
In September the firm had appeared before the Traffic Commissioner over vehicle maintenance.
It had been authorised to operate two additional vehicles on the understanding that its services be operated as registered in the future. (CM 6-12 October).
Pilkington has continued to flout the Commissioner's authority, Birchall was told.
Representatives of Hyndburn Borough Council gave evidence of service failures of up to 50% on occasions between the beginning of September and the end of November. In the three months ending 30 April, 314 journeys failed to operate; 37 were over 10 minutes late and five were three or more minutes early.
Mary Pilkington said that they had operated a good service for two years until, over a two-month period, they had had problems. They had taken on two new services in September, but had not realised the degree of competition on the routes, Agreeing that they had taken a service to Rawtenstall off without notifying the Commissioner, Mrs Pilkington said that competition had been ridiculous and she blamed the firm's problems on staff shortages.