Coach firm loses licence after 'worst' inspection

A Herefordshire coach company that was described as having been subject to "the worst fleet inspection", has had its licence revoked after a public inquiry was held.

The decision comes after one of Lugg Valley Travel Ltd's vehicles caught fire whilst transporting students, in November 2024.

Miles Dorrington, Traffic Commissioner for the West Midlands, has imposed four-year disqualifications on the firm and its sole director, Nigel Yeomans, after he said he had never seen a worse fleet.

During the inquiry it was revealed the Hereford firm, which has been approached for comment, had a history of maintenance failures that posed "serious safety risks" to passengers.

An unannounced maintenance investigation by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uncovered systemic failings across the operator's fleet, the inquiry was told.

Mr Dorrington described the findings as "the worst PSV (Public Service Vehicle) fleet inspection that I have ever seen", in 17 years as a deputy and full-time traffic commissioner.

All six of the firm's vehicles, which were inspected on 9 January 2025, received prohibition notices.

Three vehicles received immediate "S" marked prohibitions after significant maintenance failures were discovered.

One of the three coaches was found with three out of six wheel nuts loose on the nearside wheel.

The wheel re-torque tag from six weeks earlier contained a warning from the tyre fitter stating: "New wheels needed!!! Customer use at their own risk!!!."

Another was noted as having an air leak that was so severe, air pressure could not be sustained even with the engine running at fast idle.

The third vehicle had a mirror that had been "wholly insufficiently repaired", impairing the driver's view to the rear. The tailgate was also deemed not secure in the closed position and could fly open inadvertently.

Just 12 days after this inspection, a fourth vehicle was found at a school carrying students with a tyre bulge that could have failed at any time.

It also had a significant fuel leak that "created a fire risk to passengers and a serious slip hazard to cyclists and motorcyclists".

Mr Dorrington said: "The operator and transport manager were repeatedly putting passenger and road safety at real, and sometimes very serious, risk over a long period of time."

In his written decision, he added: "There is absolutely no place in the passenger service industry for an operator like this… merely revoking the operator's licence would fail to properly reflect the gravity of this case."

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