A2Z Travel

A2Z Travel[1] was a diversified transportation company operating mainly in the Walsall and Wolverhampton areas of the West Midlands in England. The company also provided some bus services in South Staffordshire and Birmingham. It started in the taxi business in 1998, diversifying into minibus and coach services in 2003, and in 2005 began operating local bus services.

Alexander RH bodied Leyland Olympian in Walsall in March 2008
ParentSarfaiz Ali
Founded1998
Defunct31 March 2009
HeadquartersWalsall
LocaleWest Midlands
Service typebus service, coach, taxi
AllianceNetwork West Midlands
Routes27
Fleet55

It operated buses on numerous commercial and subsidised services as part of Network West Midlands.

It ceased operating after 31 March 2009, entering administration following the revocation of its licence by the West Midlands Transport Commissioner and several failed appeals.[2]

Fleet

A2Z Travel started bus operations using two Dennis Lance step-entrance single deck buses and a Dennis Dart. Over time more Dennis Darts appeared, followed by 15 Leyland Olympian double deck buses. These buses were withdrawn in December 2007, and replaced by more Darts and Lances. This fleet continued to be used until the company ceased its operations.

Routes

Below is a list of the bus routes operated by A2Z Travel at the time it ceased operations:

Route From To
3 Wolverhampton Penkridge
18 Lyndale Park Wolverhampton
23 Bloxwich Brownhills
33 Hednesford Norton Canes
56A Brownhills Birmingham
62 Cannock Lichfield
70 Wolverhampton Hednesford
76 Wolverhampton Stafford
301 Walsall Mossley
303 Bilston County Bridge Estate
322 Walsall The Paddocks/The Butts
327 Willenhall Wednesbury
328 Walsall Bloxwich
329 Walsall Bloxwich
331 Walsall Willenhall
341E Walsall Coppice Farm Way
351 Walsall Hednesford
375 Aldridge Old Oscott
376 Walsall Kingstanding
425 Hamstead Great Barr
511 Wolverhampton Underhill
522 Wolverhampton Prince End
575 Wolverhampton Ettingshall
680 Moxley Lower Bradley Circular
880 Stafford Perton
991 Walsall Lichfield
991A Lichfield Walsall

Blue Squares = Denotes this service was subsidised by either the Staffordshire County Council or West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (Centro).

75% of the services operated by A2Z Travel were on a subsidised basis.

Licence revocation

Revocation

In November 2007, a Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) inspection at A2Z Travel found that 11 buses had defects. A2Z immediately took these vehicles off the road and withdrew them from service (these buses being Leyland Olympian double deckers). However, in January 2008, another VOSA inspection found a further five buses to be unfit for operation. For this matter the company was fined £19,800.[3][4]

In October 2008, it was reported that the company had had its licence revoked with immediate effect by the West Midlands Traffic Commissioner.[5] However, A2Z decided to appeal, and as such the company continued to operate until their appeal process ended on 31 March 2009. The report revealed damning claims about the company including:

  • A check on the running of its service revealed that of 692 buses checked, 513 (nearly 75%) were either running early, late or did not turn up at all.
  • The Company Director, Sarfaiz Ali, was criticised for lacking management control of the business.
  • The Company Transport Manager, Shahzad Ali, was criticised for failing to maintain a roadworthy fleet of vehicles despite promises to VOSA.

Despite this, the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, Centro, continued to allow the company to win contracts to operate new subsidised services in the area.

Transport Tribunal appeal

On 13 January 2009, A2Z Travel appeared in front of the Transport Tribunal in London to appeal against the revocation of its licence.[6]

A2Z Travel were unsuccessful in overturning the decision made by the West Midlands Transport Commissioner and ordered to cease operating all services from 31 March 2009.[4]

After a round of emergency tendering for the remaining services was organised by Centro on 30 March 2009, A2Z Travel ceased operations the following day.

Choice Travel deal

In late March 2009, and with closure imminent, A2Z Travel reached a deal with Choice Travel, a similarly sized company based in nearby Wednesfield. The deal saw Choice take on a number of A2Z's routes and fifteen of A2Z's buses.

References
  1. Companies House extract company no 5248507 Archived 12 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine A2Z Travel (United Kingdom) Limited
  2. Drivers axed in bus firm collapse Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Express & Star 9 April 2009
  3. Operator appeals revocation decision Archived 13 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach Professional 24 October 2008
  4. A2Z bus firm off road in crises Archived 28 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine Express & Star 1 April 2009
  5. Bus firm could lose licence Express & Star 11 October 2008
  6. A2Z bus firm loses licence appeal Express & Star 14 January 2009
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