A LEVEN bus company has had its operating licence suspended for four weeks by the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, following a public inquiry earlier this year.

Blyth Coaches Ltd, which runs out of Balmain Farm, has also had the number of vehicles it may operate reduced from 11 to five after some vehicles in its fleet failed spot checks by a vehicle examiner.

A report by Commissioner Joan Aitken published yesterday revealed the vehicle examiner concluded many of the defects had been door and body defects that would have been “obvious” to drivers had they carried out meaningful daily checks.

“The high roadside prohibition rate and the high initial fail rate at annual test pointed to the operator failing to maintain its vehicles in a satisfactory condition,” the report added.

The public inquiry in August heard how the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) received information that Blyth Coaches, managed by Iain Blyth, were allegedly using drivers who did not have public service vehicle (PSV) entitlement.

On August 22, 2007, traffic examiners who were waiting at the Premier Bingo car park in Kirkcaldy spoke to a driver of a bus who admitted he only had a standard driving licence but drove on a casual basis for Blyth Coaches.

In another incident at Celtic Park in Glasgow on November 28, a 51-seater coach was seen in the car park that was being driven by John Dickson of Glenrothes.

The vehicle was displaying a PSV operator licence disc for Blyth Coaches but the legal lettering on the side gave the vehicle owner as W & J Dickson of Glenrothes, with a subsequent DVLA check showing the vehicle to be registered to John Dickson.

Mr Dickson told the traffic examiner he owned the vehicle and that he and his father, trading as Dicksons Coaches, previously held an operator’s licence as a partnership but they had parted company and the licence was surrendered on November 8, 2007.

Mr Dickson had applied for a licence in his own name and that was awaited.

However, Mr Blyth was then interviewed by traffic examiners and admitted that he had “loaned” Mr Dickson an identity disc to fulfil a contract with Celtic Supporters Club and insisted he handed the disc back within 24 hours.

The inquiry also heard that Mr Blyth had done so without intent to deceive and thought it to been legal for up to 14 days.

In her conclusion, Commissioner Aitken said she had been “balanced between revocation and suspension” of the licence but opted for the latter option.

“The case is on the cusp,” she added.

“Suspension will cause Mr Blyth considerable difficulty but again I remind himself that his actions have taken work from reputable operators and I need to play my part in ensuring fair competition.”

After suspending the licence from November 10, she added, “Mr Blyth needs to be able to demonstrate that he is capable of making the proper arrangements required by the licence undertakings.

“Thus I will require to see evidence that his vehicles have passed at annual test, that his vehicles have been kept free of prohibitions and that in relation to drivers’ hours and other matters… he is also compliant.”