Easyway Bus only gets twelve and six
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• The PSV 0-licence held by Jack Mather, trading as Easyway Bus, of Blackpool, has been renewed for 12 months only, and for six vehicles instead of the 11 applied for, at a Manchester public inquiry.
North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner John Levin was told that Mather had previously appeared at public inquiries in September 1986 and February 1988 because of poor maintenance. On the Last occasion the duration of his licence had been curtailed (CM 10-16 March 1988).
Vehicle examiner Roy Prince said that he had examined five vehicles in December 1987, issuing three immediate and two delayed prohibitions. There were adequate maintenance facilities, but one pit had been blocked for six months and the workshop was cluttered with rubbish. in November 1988 he had inspected six vehicles, issuing one immediate and two delayed prohibitions. There were no maintenance records prior to June, or for October. The second pit remained covered and the workshop was still cluttered. Prince felt that the cause of the problems was a lack of adequate management, with Mather trying to run everything himself.
Mather said there had been problems with the fitting staff and he had been ill due to stress and overwork. Asked about a conviction for running a service banned by the late Commissioner, Roy Hutchings, after six-year-old children had been turfed off a supposedly "free" bus (CM 14-20 April 1988) Mather said that driver Jonathan Leach, who had prevented the children from boarding contrary to his in
structions, had been dismissed.
Failure to declare the conviction in the application form was due to an oversight. Mather produced accounts for 1986 and 1987, saying they had not been audited as there had been , a problem between different firms of accountants.
Levin commented that the 1986 accounts showed a loss, but a profit had been made in 1987. Mather said he was confident that the 1988 figures would be as good as those for 1987. Levin said that he did not feel that Mather could cope with more than six vehicles.
A lot of the problems had been caused because Mather was overstretched. Less vehicles would enable him to devote more time to management. He did not feel that the conviction had arisen out of dishonesty, or that Mather was unfit to hold a licence.