Cabinet Updated On GHA Coaches Issue

Members of Denbighshire’s Cabinet have today endorsed the action taken by the Council’s Passenger Transport team to restore school bus and public bus services in the wake of the collapse of GHA Coaches Ltd in July. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Company closed on July 13th and the Council’s Passenger Transport team worked around the clock to restore school transport services by finding alternative providers at short notice. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Significant effort was also made to ensure that all communities served by a bus continued to benefit from some form of service in the days and weeks that followed. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Lead Member for Environment, said: “I must pay tribute to the team for pulling out all the stops to sort out school buses for the following day and to get the public bus service up and operating as quickly as possible. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“These were certainly testing times and the superb effort of staff meant that disruption to services was kept to an absolute minimum. The public was also extremely supportive and we thank them for their understanding and patience”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cabinet also discussed the additional costs occurred as a result of the company’s closure. The Council is expected to face an additional £175,000 costs in the current financial year for school transport. It was agreed that the overspent should be partly met from the Council’s reserves. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cabinet also noted its gratitude for the offer of financial assistance from the Welsh Government in respect of the additional costs incurred by the Council in the restoration of local bus services following the collapse of GHA coaches. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cabinet is also respectfully urging the Minister to consider further financial assistance in respect of the additional school transport costs which represents the biggest proportion of the additional financial burden imposed on the Council due to this company’s demise. Officers will enter into discussions with Government officials in respect of the school transport element of these additional costs. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cabinet also agreed to approach the Rural Development Plan to seek funding for the development of community transport services, to address transport needs in rural areas. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Meanwhile, the future of the public transport budget in the longer term will be discussed as part of the budget-setting process which begins later this year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​