Bus drivers held up traffic to gain fares
A bus firm has been stripped of all but one of its services after drivers were caught deliberately holding up other buses to cash in on fares.
Drivers for GRS Travel were found to be intentionally causing delays for other firms so they could pick up extra customers.
A hearing of the Traffic Commissioner for Wales and the West Midlands heard how GRS Travel buses moved considerably slower than surrounding traffic, causing queues to form behind.
Traffic Commission Nick Jones called the practice 'predatory and potentially dangerous'.
"I use the word 'dangerous' as a bus deliberately driving too slow for the prevailing traffic causing queues will lead to temptations by other road users to overtake and/or drive in a manner that potentially causes danger," he said.
"The selfish behaviour of drivers deliberately travelling slowly was an obvious potential hazard, it was also potentially dangerous."
The firm is owned by Gurdaver Ram and based at Dudley Road East in Tividale.
Mr Ram was called before the traffic commissioner for a public inquiry after investigators reported safety and punctuality concerns about his buses.
Of 62 journeys monitored, 17 did not run and 27 departed more than one minute early or arrived more than five minutes late, meaning they fell outside the commissioner's 'punctuality window'.
A further five buses observed displayed an incorrect destination and the operator's fleet was found to have a poor MOT pass rate.
GRS Travel used to run services in Wednesbury and several parts of Birmingham. It continues to operate the 11A/11C, which circles Birmingham and travels along Bearwood Road.
Mr Jones said Mr Ram had arranged for some monitoring to be carried out but noted his 'wholesale lack of professionalism' meant the travelling public would suffer if he continued to run bus services.
It was also accepted Mr Ram had not instructed his drivers to hold up rival services but he was criticised for not putting in sufficient management controls.
Mr Jones added: "Historically, Gurdaver Ram worked as a bus driver and it seems that this motivated him to be a Public Service Vehicle operator running registered services. Unfortunately he doesn't have the skills to run a compliant registered service with safe buses.
"Not having enough buses to run a registered service due to a lack of vehicles without mechanical defects is unacceptable."
Mr Ram, who had been subject to a previous inquiry and sanctioned in January 2014, was also handed a £2,200 fine and told he can not run more than one service until August 2017.
He was unavailable for comment.
