New laws could close bus service

8:55am Wednesday 3rd October 2007

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SPECIALISED bus services for schoo-lchildren with special needs are facing the axe.

Private operators who provide the service under contract to the council say new legislation will almost certainly force them out of business.

EA Beck Specialist Transport Services is one of five Wirral companies whose current council contracts will end unless all of their drivers are licensed as taxi drivers.

In order to qualify, all drivers will have to take a knowledge test and each vehicle would have to be maintained and re-registered for £500 every year. Everyone applying for jobs will be subject to rigorous police checks.

It is all part of a Government drive to improve public safety across the country.

But Edward Beck, owner of the Hoylake-based company, fears that the new legislation will mean he has to close the business with the loss of more than 60 jobs.

He told the Globe: "I've said that I'll shut the doors in January and I'm prepared to do that, because this law would cost me an extra £30,000 a year to run and I cannot afford this. It's a money-making exercise for the council.

"At the moment we have 55 contracts with the council and they have admitted that they cannot survive without the service we provide.

All the vehicles are purpose-built for children, with space for wheelchairs.

"We don't do taxi work, all we do is school runs and so it's only part-time work. So once this law becomes effective, our staff could go off and do taxi work for more money. It's going to be devastating.

"I'll have a big yellow sticker on the side of all my vehicles which reads School Bus only if it helps us get the message across."

The change in the law will also affect A2B Travel in Prenton, Destinations Travel in Bebington, Playa Travel and C&P Travel.

Parents have reacted angrily to the new regulations, writing to Wirral's licensing department in protest at what will be the loss of a valuable children's service.

Hoylake Conservative councillor John Hale said: "I'm trying to find out how much of this change has been brought in as an act of Parliament and how much of it are policies brought in by Wirral's licensing department.

"Mr Beck's is the biggest company involved, but I really sympathise with all those companies affected by this, because it seems that that they are being badly hit."

Wirral Council cabinet member for children's services and Lifelong Learning Cllr Phil Davies said: "Following changes in Government legislation, from January 2008 vehicles that are currently exempt from licensing due to the fact that they are engaged on contracts lasting at least seven days, will have to be licensed.

"In the run up to that time, the council has been and will strive to continue to work with the special needs transport providers here in Wirral - who fall into this category - to ensure that the current workforce meet the new requirements."