Bus company ordered off the road

21 December 2006

Land Transport NZ orders bus company off the road

Land Transport NZ has revoked the operating licence of a Northland bus company with a fleet of 12 vehicles, many of which are used on school runs.

The Passenger Service Licence (PSL) of Kaikohe-based Otene Bus Ltd was revoked on Tuesday, with effect from tomorrow (22 December), after a Land Transport NZ investigation confirmed several serious breaches of the regulations which apply to licensed passenger service providers.

Specific breaches uncovered included buses operating with expired Certificates of Fitness (CoFs), buses operating below CoF standard, some with serious safety defects, and buses being driven by persons with no passenger (P) endorsements. The Police Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit (CVIU) issued non-operational orders to five Otene buses earlier this month on safety grounds.

“We are committed to regulating the bus industry fairly to protect people,” said John Doesburg, Land Transport NZ’s National Manager for Commercial Road Transport. “The operating standards of this company were simply not up to scratch, and we cannot allow them to continue carrying passengers, including school children. We’ve given them opportunities to make improvements – they haven’t done so and as a result their Passenger Service Licence has been revoked.”

Mr Doesburg said the revocation action was a sign of Land Transport NZ’s commitment to improving standards in commercial road transport. As part of the formation of Land Transport NZ in December 2004, a new nationally managed team of advisors and investigators was established to focus on the commercial road transport industry.

“We will work with those who are willing to improve their standards, but we will take action against those who won't to ensure the safety and security of the travelling public,” Mr Doesburg said.

ENDS

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