Under-fire Wolverhampton bus firm boss: We've been made out as villains

Wolverhampton's Travel Express was castigated after a public inquiry found passengers were put on unsafe buses.

But manager Kishan Chumber has come out fighting, insisting his firm is 'friendly' and that he has been targeted for being a 'troublemaker'.

From March onwards, two of Travel Express' routes will no longer run, while five of its buses have been forced off the road and the firm has been fined £6,500.

The punishments were handed down after traffic commissioner Nick Jones held a public inquiry into the company's mismanagement.

Findings including 36 defects on nine buses, including corroded brakes.

However Mr Chumber said: "It's a gross vilification of the business.

"They've made us look like villains, but we're not.

"We're a friendly company and people value the service we offer.

"Our drivers are seen as more approachable and caring than at other firms and we've had no complaints from the public."

The firm, based in Dudley Road, has also been banned from running new routes until March 2016.

The inquiry found that Travel Express buses ran ahead of schedule to pick up passengers ahead of rival firms.

Mr Chumber said some of his buses had been banned in the past, but because he had complained about this to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) he had been targeted, leading to the inquiry.

"They think I'm a troublemaker," he said. "I've made complaints about their prohibitions in the past.

"Even in the inquiry they said Mr Chumber likes to complain.

"I do accept that they came into the garage and found defects, but those vehicles were being worked on.

"It's unfair what they've done."

Mr Chumber has run Travel Express since it began in 2000 and pledged to continue with the firm, with plans to upgrade its fleet.

The report described Mr Chumber as an 'individual who lacks basic skills, is hopeless in setting standards and is unable to control his drivers'.

The report found Mr Chumber prioritised getting vehicles out onto the road as opposed to running them in a roadworthy state.

There was evidence of corroded brakes, while buses were generally found to be poorly-maintained and dirty.

As many as 28 of the 36 defects found should have been spotted by the firm's drivers during routine daily checks, the investigation found.

The number one from Wolverhampton to Tettenhall Wood and the number two from Wolverhampton to Bushbury Hill will be cancelled from March 15. Travel Express was unavailable for comment.