The Upper Tribunal has quashed a decision by the Senior Traffic Commissioner (TC) Beverley Bell to revoke the licence of Catch22Bus Ltd, operators of local bus services in Blackpool, effective from April 15.
The case has been remitted to the Office of the TC for re-hearing and determination at a new Public Inquiry, which will be held before a different traffic commissioner or deputy traffic commissioner.
The decision of the traffic commissioner will form no part of the evidence or documentation to be considered during the new inquiry.
In a statement, Catch22Bus said the move had followed the intervention of the Government Legal Team, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport, which proposed that a Consent Order is agreed between the parties to dispose of the proceedings using Rule 39.
The appeal was also allowed because of a delay between the final hearing of evidence at the Public Inquiry and the issue of the traffic commissioner’s decision, dated June 30, 2015, which it said amounted to an ‘unfairness in the process of the inquiry.’
Philip Higgs, Managing Director of Catch22Bus, told CBW: “This is good news for our 25 staff, our customers and the future development of the business.”
