2. Urgent Question: RJ’s of Wem

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:19 pm on 6 December 2016.

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Photo of Llyr Gruffydd Llyr Gruffydd Plaid Cymru 2:19, 6 December 2016

Well, thank you for your answer. I’m not sure that tells us much more in relation particularly to the services that are now going to be lost in a week or so’s time. After the shambles of the GHA Coaches situation over the summer, of course, the last thing we need is more uncertainty about the services over Christmas and the new year period. Now, I understand that a new tendering process is under way, but, apparently, with a new contract start date of 1 April 2017. So, could you tell us whether that means that there’ll be no services in the meantime and where that leaves passengers who need the services to get to work, to education, and to access essential services?

Surely, the revocation of these licences wouldn’t have been a surprise given the history around GHA Coaches, so where were due diligence and financial standing checks when the local authority issued the contract to RJ’s of Wem? Surely, this could have been foreseen, and does that not raise the question as to how they got the contract in the first place?