GHA Coaches in Administration

[0lymp14n]

Are there any financing companies who will give them a loan now by the time GHA took out loans in order to make repayments on loans?

I would guess they'll have some funding squirrelled away as the collapse was a while in the making .

I'd be surprised if they've not bought a few of the 'good' ones back.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I would guess they'll have some funding squirrelled away as the collapse was a while in the making .

I'd be surprised if they've not bought a few of the 'good' ones back.

It will be interesting to see where some of the vehicles eventually end up.

 

[northwichcat]

It will be interesting to see where some of the vehicles eventually end up.

W469 BCW which was sold in the first auction has gone to Warrington based Springfield/Howard's Travel.

I would guess they'll have some funding squirrelled away as the collapse was a while in the making .

I'd be surprised if they've not bought a few of the 'good' ones back.

This was posted on another site by a former GHA driver on driving their 'Gold' Enviros:

The Enviro 200 buses looked good and when new, drove and handled very well, but problems soon became apparent after a month or so of regular use.

The views of the regular drivers “myself included” we’re never addressed. All of us drivers had issues with night time or winter driving due to the polarisation affect of the windscreen. When driving after dark with even minimal interior lights switched on it was impossible to see the road ahead. All the driver saw through the windscreen was the reflection of the interior of the bus, we particularly found this a problem on the journey between Wilmslow and Knutsford around the Mobberley area. Some drivers took to switching off the interior lights much to the dismay of the passengers. It was merely a safety issue which could have been addressed easily if the views of the drivers were listened to.

Some of the managers at GHA thought this was a minor issue and not worth addressing. They never drove the buses themselves!

The Enviros were fitted with monitors to provide passengers with journey information etc. The monitors were never used as far as I’m aware, they certainly weren’t put into use while I worked for the company. That wasn’t a problem for the drivers, but they were the first parts of the bus which loosened during normal use and which rattled so loudly that it was sometimes impossible to hear when a passenger pressed the bell to stop the bus. I mentioned this to the maintenance department but it too was found to be a minimal issue and not worthy of addressing. I raised my concerns often with the managers but they were never addressed.

The Enviros went for inspection on a six weekly rotation but all that happened was they were raised up in the air and a mechanic would inspect the running gear and the out of sight areas of the vehicle whilst paying little if no attention to the drivers concerns.

 

[0lymp14n]

BMC BX07OOH has been acquired by Townlynx.

EDIT: Also acquired are Darts CN04NLL/P

 

[northwichcat]

Wrexham council have just awarded bus contracts to RML2418 Ltd and RJ's of Wem Ltd both of which are registered to Unit 10, Vauxhall Industrial Estate, Wrexham and have Arwyn and Gareth Davies as directors!!!

It seems they have two operating licences which currently allow them to have a grand total of 7 buses!

 

[childwallblues]

It seems they have two operating licences which currently allow them to have a grand total of 7 buses!

I know that councils have to get the best deal wherever possible but you would have thought that these directors would have been blacklisted in view of the councils previous experience with them.

 

[northwichcat]

GHA Coaches Limited (In Administration) - Public Inquiry
posted an hour ago by Ron Newbe
Having spoken to the Traffic Commissioner's Office today I can confirm the the company, the Directors and Transport Managers have been called into a public Inquiry to be held at 10.30 am on 20th September 2016 at Welshpool Town Hall, Powys.

Various matters appear to be the subject of the Inquiry including maintenance issues.

I assume that the formal notice of this Inquiry will be given in the next edition of the 'Notices and Proceedings' which is due to be published on 8th September.

http://www.ronsbusesandcoaches.com/gha/gha-group-news


While on VOSA the RJ's OF WEM registrations have appeared:

PD1049793/1 - RJ'S OF WEM LTD T/A SHROPSHIRE BUS & COACH, UNIT 10 & 11, VAUXHALL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, RUABON, WREXHAM, LL14 6UY
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Wrexham Bus Station
Finish Point: Lodge
Via: Moss, Pentre Broughton
Service Number: 17
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 06-SEP-2016
Other Details: Monday to Saturday except public holidays

PD1049793/2 - RJ'S OF WEM LTD T/A SHROPSHIRE BUS & COACH, UNIT 10 & 11, VAUXHALL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, RUABON, WREXHAM, LL14 6UY
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Wrexham Bus Station
Finish Point: Ruabon,Pont Adam
Via:
Service Number: 6
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 06-SEP-2016
Other Details: Monday to Saturday excluding public holidays

PD1049793/3 - RJ'S OF WEM LTD T/A SHROPSHIRE BUS & COACH, UNIT 10 & 11, VAUXHALL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, RUABON, WREXHAM, LL14 6UY
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Wrexham Bus Station
Finish Point: Travalyn
Via:
Service Number: 34
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 06-SEP-2016
Other Details: Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays

PD1049793/4 - RJ'S OF WEM LTD T/A SHROPSHIRE BUS & COACH, UNIT 10 & 11, VAUXHALL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, RUABON, WREXHAM, LL14 6UY
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Wrexham Bus Station
Finish Point: Whitchurch Bus Station
Via:
Service Number: 146
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 06-SEP-2016
Other Details: Monday to Saturday, except public holidays

PD1049793/5 - RJ'S OF WEM LTD T/A SHROPSHIRE BUS & COACH, UNIT 10 & 11, VAUXHALL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, RUABON, WREXHAM, LL14 6UY
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Llangollen Health Centre
Finish Point: Llanarmon D C
Via:
Service Number: 64
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 06-SEP-2016
Other Details: Monday to Saturday except public holidays

Do they have buses and drivers ready?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
According to a local paper solicitors are looking at how drivers were laid off as the process used may have been illegal

 

[theblackwatch]

For those who are interested, I've found this listing which details the disposals of all the GHA fleet:
http://www.ronsbusesandcoaches.com/gha-fleet-dispersal

 

[323235]

W469 BCW which was sold in the first auction has gone to Warrington based Springfield/Howard's Travel.



This was posted on another site by a former GHA driver on driving their 'Gold' Enviros:

That issue wasn't isolated to GHA Enviro 200's, when Bakerbus operated the 392 it was common practice on winter nights to switch some or all of the internal lights off so the driver could see the country lanes.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I know that councils have to get the best deal wherever possible but you would have thought that these directors would have been blacklisted in view of the councils previous experience with them.

I would image that unless the Davies were banned from being directors in the UK the councils hands are probably tied due to procurement rules and policies which prevent them from being bias against them.

 

[Bungle965]

Saw a Cheshire East Optare Solo today in Epping!
Sam

 

[northwichcat]

That issue wasn't isolated to GHA Enviro 200's, when Bakerbus operated the 392 it was common practice on winter nights to switch some or all of the internal lights off so the driver could see the country lanes.

Which would mean if GHA had done some research they would have known there was an issue with the tinted windscreen option when being used on unlit roads at night. When they launched the 'GHA Gold' service they seemed to sell in tinted windows as an advantage for people using tablets or laptops on the buses.

Saw a Cheshire East Optare Solo today in Epping!
Sam

GHA had purchased some buses using financing agreements from Aldermore Finance Co. As the terms of the financing agreement were breached they were repossessed and are being sold by Ensign Bus. It seems all the Solos with registrations starting YJ59 were part of that arrangement.

 

[swifty]

Which would mean if GHA had done some research they would have known there was an issue with the tinted windscreen option when being used on unlit roads at night.

Not necessarily, round here when the streetlights used to get turned off at midnight the last First Bus thought would always turn the interior lights out because they reflected back off the windscreen.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Noted from an earlier posting, tomorrow will be the day when the GHA directors and transport managers will appear at the Public Inquiry at Welshpool Town Hall.

 

[rich.davies]

Today's outcome. How is this going to affect the routes run by RJ's http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/brothers-behind-collapsed-gha-coaches-11912785

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

[richw]

Today's outcome. How is this going to affect the routes run by RJ's http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/brothers-behind-collapsed-gha-coaches-11912785

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

They'll probably just front the company with a relative as has been seen in other disqualification examples. There is one recent example in Devon where the daughter became the new operator and an addition of a word to the legal name.

 

[carlberry]

They'll probably just front the company with a relative as has been seen in other disqualification examples. There is one recent example in Devon where the daughter became the new operator and an addition of a word to the legal name.

The only recent one I'm aware of was where the daughter had already opened a company in a different area using the same name some time before the closure. The new company has subsequently started running in Devon as well but there was quite a gap.

A more famous one involved a certain famous South Wales operator which got taken over by his wife when he was disqualified. His son has subsequently made a much better job of a completly different company however!

 

[richw]

The only recent one I'm aware of was where the daughter had already opened a company in a different area using the same name some time before the closure. The new company has subsequently started running in Devon as well but there was quite a gap.
!

The one with the daughter in a new area was opened after the incidents but before the hearing that lost the fathers licence. She has had a licence for keeping a few vehicles at her fathers old premises with private hire operated, she has now started public service routes again.

 

[northwichcat]

They'll probably just front the company with a relative as has been seen in other disqualification examples. There is one recent example in Devon where the daughter became the new operator and an addition of a word to the legal name.

Posted elsewhere that Gareth Lloyd Davies has resigned as director of RJs of Wem and Sally Ann Lloyd Davies has taken his place. :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
List of creditors and debitors for GHA Coaches are shown here: https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/...HlZxiPKjmNrumQHlqNMWmbWtD5IYvGmmF6HUooLSTvwU=

I'm surprised TfGM are owed more than TSS (Cheshire East) while it appears GHA were owed money by D&G Bus and Denbigshire County Council and GHA owed Arriva money. I'm not sure how money was owed between operators? Wrexham council were owed over £27.5k by GHA - no wonder they were reluctant to issue new tenders for bus services.

 

[carlberry]

I'm surprised TfGM are owed more than TSS (Cheshire East) while it appears GHA were owed money by D&G Bus and Denbigshire County Council and GHA owed Arriva money. I'm not sure how money was owed between operators? Wrexham council were owed over £27.5k by GHA - no wonder they were reluctant to issue new tenders for bus services.

The Arriva money could be lots of different things. It could be the Arriva dealership, it could be for bus station access, outstation access, fueling, training etc.

 

[northwichcat]

The Arriva money could be lots of different things. It could be the Arriva dealership, it could be for bus station access, outstation access, fueling, training etc.

Yes there's a number of different reasons why GHA could have owed Arriva money but D&G owing some money to GHA is more surprising. It's also strange they refer to D&G Bus when that's just a trading name of Rolling Solutions Limited.

 

[LowLevel]

The only recent one I'm aware of was where the daughter had already opened a company in a different area using the same name some time before the closure. The new company has subsequently started running in Devon as well but there was quite a gap.

A more famous one involved a certain famous South Wales operator which got taken over by his wife when he was disqualified. His son has subsequently made a much better job of a completly different company however!

The same happened in the West Midlands with Banga Travel becoming Banga Buses under the previous owner's son, following a few delightful instances of things like buses turning into a fireball. One of my favourite examples of ironic bus company naming as they operated some of the worst derelicts I've ever seen in the 1990s.

 

[Robertj21a]

The same happened in the West Midlands with Banga Travel becoming Banga Buses under the previous owner's son, following a few delightful instances of things like buses turning into a fireball. One of my favourite examples of ironic bus company naming as they operated some of the worst derelicts I've ever seen in the 1990s.

......but still continuing, reasonably successfully, to this day.

 

[Y961 XBU]

This was just put on the Dartslf.com

Looks like the ex GHA contracts have been awarded this afternoon. Hollinsheads Coaches look to be the big winner with the Beartown Buses contract, High Peak keeping the P1 Poynton Circular and Howards retaining the 27 Macclesfield - Knutsford and 200 Wilmslow - Manchester Airport Visitor Centre.

 

[the101]

The written decision concerning the GHA O-Licence and the two brothers involved has been issued.

Both men have been banned indefinitely from having anything to do with managing a bus or coach firm and naturally the GHA O-Licence has been revoked. However, what is worse is that the scale of incompetence, shady practices and failure to maintain vehicles is revealed. Given the hazards that GHA posed to road safety, these two should be looking at a substantial period behind bars, never mind a ban from involvement with an O-Licence. Lost wheels, no maintenance inspections for 19(!) weeks in some cases, services operated illegally, it goes on.

 

[childwallblues]

The written decision concerning the GHA O-Licence and the two brothers involved has been issued.

Both men have been banned indefinitely from having anything to do with managing a bus or coach firm and naturally the GHA O-Licence has been revoked. However, what is worse is that the scale of incompetence, shady practices and failure to maintain vehicles is revealed. Given the hazards that GHA posed to road safety, these two should be looking at a substantial period behind bars, never mind a ban from involvement with an O-Licence. Lost wheels, no maintenance inspections for 19(!) weeks in some cases, services operated illegally, it goes on.

Excellent news.

 

[northwichcat]

The written decision concerning the GHA O-Licence and the two brothers involved has been issued.

Both men have been banned indefinitely from having anything to do with managing a bus or coach firm and naturally the GHA O-Licence has been revoked. However, what is worse is that the scale of incompetence, shady practices and failure to maintain vehicles is revealed. Given the hazards that GHA posed to road safety, these two should be looking at a substantial period behind bars, never mind a ban from involvement with an O-Licence. Lost wheels, no maintenance inspections for 19(!) weeks in some cases, services operated illegally, it goes on.

Did the TC manage to do anything about the ownership of RJs of Wem being transferred from one of the brothers to another family member on the day of the inquiry?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

This was just put on the Dartslf.com

Looks like the ex GHA contracts have been awarded this afternoon. Hollinsheads Coaches look to be the big winner with the Beartown Buses contract, High Peak keeping the P1 Poynton Circular and Howards retaining the 27 Macclesfield - Knutsford and 200 Wilmslow - Manchester Airport Visitor Centre.

All Cheshire East contracts have now been announced

P1 - High Peak - no mention of any timetable changes
6E (evening) - Arriva - new timetable with all services serving Leighton Hospital
8 (Su and BH) - D&G - no timetable changes
19 - High Peak - no timetable changes
27 - Springfield - revised timetable with no news on the changes
38 (evening) - Arriva - no timetable changes
39 - Mikro Coaches - no news on the timetable
42 - D&G - revised timetable
51, 52, 53, 71, 72, 73 - D&G - revised timetables
78 - D&G - revised timetable
88 - D&G - revised timetable to use 5 vehicles to improve reliability
90, 91, 92 - Hollinshead Coaches - no timetable changes
99 (old 87) - D&G - no timetable changes
130 (Su and BH) - Arriva - new timetable with revised route north of Wilmslow
200 - Springfield - first service in both directions re-timed.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

All Cheshire East contracts have now been announced

19 - High Peak - no timetable changes

.....but still the same garish orange and blue tasteless livery...

 

[northwichcat]

.....but still the same garish orange and blue tasteless livery...

If government cuts hadn't forced Cheshire East council to sell their Cheshire Connect branded buses including a number to an operator who collapsed (GHA), you might still have buses in a livery you find more preferable.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

If government cuts hadn't forced Cheshire East council to sell their Cheshire Connect branded buses including a number to an operator who collapsed (GHA), you might still have buses in a livery you find more preferable.

Government cuts or the management ethos of Cheshire East Council? Wishing to operate everything at arms length so that they can be in control (by specifying the contract terms) yet not accountable (it is the arms length company who are responsible for x, y and z). Just as the DfT has no involvement whatsoever in the railway rolling stock market (not) or the current Southern dispute.

 

[Robertj21a]

.....but still the same garish orange and blue tasteless livery...

No idea why you don't like it. I find it refreshingly bright and cheerful - it adds a lot of colour to places like Luton, Leicester, Stevenage etc, why shouldn't it also add colour to places in/near the Peak District ?