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Bus war forces major bust-up
Page 26
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• A Midlands bus battle has led to fist fights and vehicles being rammed, a Birmingham public inquiry was told last week. The row is between Midland Red (West) and Redline Bus, which was launched by two former Midland Red (West) inspectors.
West Midland Deputy Traffic Commissioner Ronald Jackson heard complaints and countercomplaints about the operation of competing circular services between Redditch and Matchborough during a three-year inquiry. He was considering what action to take against Midland Red West and Bromsgrovebased Redline Bus. The proceedings were adjourned until 29 April.
Midland Red's district manager Harry Aston conceded that there had been a certain amount of bitterness among the company staff when former inspectors Stanley Pemberton and Michael Elkins set up the competing Redline — but he did not feel that the situation was now as inflamed as it had been in the early days.
Pemberton said that ever since the start of the Redline service on 12 October 1987, Midland Red had run additional vehicles in front of the Redline buses and had parked buses to prevent Redline getting to stands in the bus station. He had made numerous complaints about the tactics of Midland Red drivers on the route, some of which could only be dscribed as dangerous.
On one occasion, said Pemberton, as he was approaching the stand a Midland Red bus was driven at high speed, cutting off his approach. The mirrors of the two buses became entagled, at which point a second Midland Red bus was reversed at high speed into his vehicle, causing extensive damage. On 21 January, after an argument with a Midland Red driver, he was attacked in his bus and knocked senseless. He agreed that Redline had originally tried to use the same stand as Midland Red, before being allocated its own stand in January. He also agreed that it was not unknown for buses to reverse into one another in what was a tight and congested bus station.
Evidence was given by traffic examiners and a member of the public about buses jockeying for position on the route, and about Midland Red using blocking and delaying tactics.
Midland Red driver David De Silva admitted assaulting Pemberton, but maintained that he had been provoked, and he denied that Pemberton had been knocked senseless.
The driver who reversed into Pemberton's bus, Masudur-Rehman, denied he had driven his bus into the Redline bus deliberately. He said that the accident had been caused by Pemberton trying to get on his stand before he could.
Aston admitted that he had tried to make sure there was always a Midland Red bus operating close to Redline's timings. He maintained that it would be unproductive to sandwich Redline buses, as that would create a build-up of passengers, some of whom Redline would inevitably take.
Midland Red managing director Kenneth Mills said experience in the Hereford Trial Area had shown that the successful way to compete was through reliability, punctuality, courtesy to passengers and gradual expansion of the service. Midland Red had just as much a problem getting on stands at the bus station as Redline. The additional vehicles had been operated with the intention of increasing the service to the public.
Other Midland Red drivers gave evidence about the operation of unregistered journeys by Redline, the tactics used by Pemberton in particular on the route, and the deliberate obstruction of bus station stands.
Warning Pemberton about his future conduct, Jackson said that he was putting his PSV driving licence in jeopardy.