Police operation nets schoolbus driver who lost licence six years ago

11:00am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Mark Taylor, Reporter. Please call me on (01865) 425411

Pc Mark Pilling tests an emergency door during Operation Coachman Buy this photo » Pc Mark Pilling tests an emergency door during Operation Coachman

AN Oxfordshire schoolbus driver has been transporting children around the county despite losing his licence for speeding six years ago.

The man was caught during a road safety operation yesterday.

He has been removed from driving duties with immediate effect.

Another schoolbus was also taken off the road after it failed a safety check during the same exercise.

The Oxford Mail accompanied Thames Valley Police on Operation Coachman to check drivers and vehicles carrying students, including schoolbuses, coaches and minibuses.

After taking students and pupils to schools and colleges, the vehicles were trailed and shepherded into Marcham weigh station, off the A34 near Abingdon.

Of the 12 vehicles checked, one driver had a revoked licence and three drivers were warned about failing to display child safety signs at front and rear. One vehicle had a fault with the emergency door which was rectified on site, one driver had an incorrect date of birth on his driving licence, and one schoolbus had a faulty gearbox and had to be towed away.

The county council refused to issue an apology when questioned but said the man with the revoked licence was recruited “late” last year. He had been driving schoolchilden to schools in the Abingdon area.

County council spokesman Paul Smith said: “The driver’s licence had been revoked in 2007 because he had failed to send it off for speeding points. “The police reported to the council that the driver had said he knew nothing about this and was genuinely shocked to be told. The police also reported that they believed this to be a genuine mistake.

“Licences have previously been physically checked either by the council or the agency which had recruited a driver on joining.

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“However, that check did not reveal that the licence was invalid. “We have, however, recently introduced an electronic checking system that would be much better at revealing circumstances such as these when new drivers join.

“In this particular case, invalidity of the licence related to an incident in 2007. “DVLA have said that no fine or penalty points will be applied as any that were due have now expired.”

Pc Mark Pilling, who co-ordinated the operation, explained: “We wait until they drop the children off and tail them before bringing them in and giving the bus a going over.

“We look at seatbelts, check the engine and all aspects of safety of the vehicles. It’s a once-a-year thing – we want to make sure our children and students are being safely transported.”

In December a man who admitted perfoming a sex act while driving a bus from Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital to Summertown was then able to get a new job driving schoolchildren.

The county council said Hetherington had an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check dating from 2011 from a previous employer, but it did not carry out a new check which could have flagged up his arrest.

Comments (14)

11:13am Tue 5 Mar 13

EricTheRed says...

Says it all really. When will the council learn and stop going for the cheapest option. Shows how much the council really cares about our kids really .School Bus Transport should meet a minimum standard ABOVE the minimum required by law. While the council keeps going for the cheapest option you will always get your kids driven around by "Bodge it and Scarper Travel" and Cowboy Coaches ltd using dodgy unlicensed drivers or at worse non CRB Drivers..

I've always been a fan of the School buse services in America, Proper vehicles designed for exclusive School Travel use with safety features, prominent colouring and lighting. Prehaps these should be used rather than the Cowboys on the roads now??
Says it all really. When will the council learn and stop going for the cheapest option. Shows how much the council really cares about our kids really .School Bus Transport should meet a minimum standard ABOVE the minimum required by law. While the council keeps going for the cheapest option you will always get your kids driven around by "Bodge it and Scarper Travel" and Cowboy Coaches ltd using dodgy unlicensed drivers or at worse non CRB Drivers.. I've always been a fan of the School buse services in America, Proper vehicles designed for exclusive School Travel use with safety features, prominent colouring and lighting. Prehaps these should be used rather than the Cowboys on the roads now?? EricTheRed

11:15am Tue 5 Mar 13

EricTheRed says...

Name and shame, any operator driving schoolchildren around in dodgy vehicles should have their contracts for School services revoked.
Name and shame, any operator driving schoolchildren around in dodgy vehicles should have their contracts for School services revoked. EricTheRed

11:39am Tue 5 Mar 13

online_reader says...

This headline is misleading; if you read the story, the police believe the driver with the electronically revoked licence genuinely never knew about the speeding points and in any case they'd already expired and would have been removed from his licence by now. No action is to be taken. Anyone checking his licence (which they did when he was recruited) would have found nothing wrong. Poorly maintained vehicles in a dangerous condition are another matter entirely.
This headline is misleading; if you read the story, the police believe the driver with the electronically revoked licence genuinely never knew about the speeding points and in any case they'd already expired and would have been removed from his licence by now. No action is to be taken. Anyone checking his licence (which they did when he was recruited) would have found nothing wrong. Poorly maintained vehicles in a dangerous condition are another matter entirely. online_reader

12:21pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Quentin Walker says...

Being allowed to disguise the age of a public service vehicle by using personalised number plates seems wrong to me.

The public should be able to know the age of vehicles they pay to travel on.
Being allowed to disguise the age of a public service vehicle by using personalised number plates seems wrong to me. The public should be able to know the age of vehicles they pay to travel on. Quentin Walker

12:30pm Tue 5 Mar 13

King Joke says...

Too right. I saw one just the other day outside St Ebbe's on Northern Irish plates. It was a Plaxton Paramount, not made since about 1990...
Too right. I saw one just the other day outside St Ebbe's on Northern Irish plates. It was a Plaxton Paramount, not made since about 1990... King Joke

12:44pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Daveboy74 says...

As a driver of these services I have to agree that there are some operators that because they have driven down the cost of home to school contracts the first thing that is cut is the maintenance. Coaches that are pushing 25 years old. Unclean with no thought for the kids that have to sit in them. I also have a child that uses these services so I also have concerns from that point.

But I have to take up with the PC quoted in this article. I feel he is tarring us all with the same brush. There are drivers and companies that take pride in what they do even when the County Council will go with the cheapest quote with out any consideration for the way that the operators employ their drivers and maintain their vehicles.

I know that times are hard for us all councils included. But what price do local authorities put on the safety of our kids on the way to and from school.
As a driver of these services I have to agree that there are some operators that because they have driven down the cost of home to school contracts the first thing that is cut is the maintenance. Coaches that are pushing 25 years old. Unclean with no thought for the kids that have to sit in them. I also have a child that uses these services so I also have concerns from that point. But I have to take up with the PC quoted in this article. I feel he is tarring us all with the same brush. There are drivers and companies that take pride in what they do even when the County Council will go with the cheapest quote with out any consideration for the way that the operators employ their drivers and maintain their vehicles. I know that times are hard for us all councils included. But what price do local authorities put on the safety of our kids on the way to and from school. Daveboy74

12:51pm Tue 5 Mar 13

Andrew:Oxford says...

King Joke wrote:
Too right. I saw one just the other day outside St Ebbe's on Northern Irish plates. It was a Plaxton Paramount, not made since about 1990...
Would that vehicle be permitted inside London's low emission zone?

1990 isn't too bad though. Some of the trains that run between Oxford and London date from the 70s.
[quote][p][bold]King Joke[/bold] wrote: Too right. I saw one just the other day outside St Ebbe's on Northern Irish plates. It was a Plaxton Paramount, not made since about 1990...[/p][/quote]Would that vehicle be permitted inside London's low emission zone? 1990 isn't too bad though. Some of the trains that run between Oxford and London date from the 70s. Andrew:Oxford

2:03pm Tue 5 Mar 13

cricketsthereal winner says...

So presumably the coaches that were driven by the unlicensed driver were not insured?
So presumably the coaches that were driven by the unlicensed driver were not insured? cricketsthereal winner

5:03pm Tue 5 Mar 13

nafnlaus says...

Daveboy74 wrote:
As a driver of these services I have to agree that there are some operators that because they have driven down the cost of home to school contracts the first thing that is cut is the maintenance. Coaches that are pushing 25 years old. Unclean with no thought for the kids that have to sit in them. I also have a child that uses these services so I also have concerns from that point.

But I have to take up with the PC quoted in this article. I feel he is tarring us all with the same brush. There are drivers and companies that take pride in what they do even when the County Council will go with the cheapest quote with out any consideration for the way that the operators employ their drivers and maintain their vehicles.

I know that times are hard for us all councils included. But what price do local authorities put on the safety of our kids on the way to and from school.
Daveboy74
I can't see where the PC tars all drivers with the same brush. He seemed to be stating the proceedure for bringing the busses in to give them "the once over"
[quote][p][bold]Daveboy74[/bold] wrote: As a driver of these services I have to agree that there are some operators that because they have driven down the cost of home to school contracts the first thing that is cut is the maintenance. Coaches that are pushing 25 years old. Unclean with no thought for the kids that have to sit in them. I also have a child that uses these services so I also have concerns from that point. But I have to take up with the PC quoted in this article. I feel he is tarring us all with the same brush. There are drivers and companies that take pride in what they do even when the County Council will go with the cheapest quote with out any consideration for the way that the operators employ their drivers and maintain their vehicles. I know that times are hard for us all councils included. But what price do local authorities put on the safety of our kids on the way to and from school.[/p][/quote]Daveboy74 I can't see where the PC tars all drivers with the same brush. He seemed to be stating the proceedure for bringing the busses in to give them "the once over" nafnlaus

5:35pm Tue 5 Mar 13

coachman1 says...

King Joke wrote:
Too right. I saw one just the other day outside St Ebbe's on Northern Irish plates. It was a Plaxton Paramount, not made since about 1990...
I know the coach you are refering to. I travel on it everyday for the last three years and the driver keeps it clean and tidy inside and out.
[quote][p][bold]King Joke[/bold] wrote: Too right. I saw one just the other day outside St Ebbe's on Northern Irish plates. It was a Plaxton Paramount, not made since about 1990...[/p][/quote]I know the coach you are refering to. I travel on it everyday for the last three years and the driver keeps it clean and tidy inside and out. coachman1

9:46pm Tue 5 Mar 13

EMBOX2 says...

"I know that times are hard for us all councils included. But what price do local authorities put on the safety of our kids on the way to and from school."

Maybe its time the council stopped taking 34% of our council tax to their pension fund and started spending it on services, including better school transport?
"I know that times are hard for us all councils included. But what price do local authorities put on the safety of our kids on the way to and from school." Maybe its time the council stopped taking 34% of our council tax to their pension fund and started spending it on services, including better school transport? EMBOX2

11:23am Wed 6 Mar 13

Man on the Green says...

1. Presumably the driver concerned hasn't moved address or had any other points added in the meantime, otherwise the DVLA would have picked up on and followed up the earlier revocation of his licence. That must be reassuring.
2. More disturbingly, from a process standpoint, the OCC assures us that they carry out CRB checks every three years. There was thus at least one occasion on which this should have been flagged up, and possibly two. Serious questions need to be asked of those responsible for this procedure.
1. Presumably the driver concerned hasn't moved address or had any other points added in the meantime, otherwise the DVLA would have picked up on and followed up the earlier revocation of his licence. That must be reassuring. 2. More disturbingly, from a process standpoint, the OCC assures us that they carry out CRB checks every three years. There was thus at least one occasion on which this should have been flagged up, and possibly two. Serious questions need to be asked of those responsible for this procedure. Man on the Green

2:03pm Thu 7 Mar 13

xjohnx says...

By and large everybody seems to be right. The council should be spending a lot more of our taxes on double a triple checking bus drivers.

or perhaps even better :-

We should only give contracts to reputable bus companies and keep them in line by sueing over breaches.
By and large everybody seems to be right. The council should be spending a lot more of our taxes on double a triple checking bus drivers. or perhaps even better :- We should only give contracts to reputable bus companies and keep them in line by sueing over breaches. xjohnx

7:04pm Thu 7 Mar 13

jencat says...

Manonthegreen - CRB checks do not show speeding points.

I had a mate who worked with a bus company. He said that often the only original things on an older bus was the licence plate and the chassis - everything else having been replaced along the way. It's the mechanical state of the bus not the age that's often the worry.
Manonthegreen - CRB checks do not show speeding points. I had a mate who worked with a bus company. He said that often the only original things on an older bus was the licence plate and the chassis - everything else having been replaced along the way. It's the mechanical state of the bus not the age that's often the worry. jencat

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