Aaron confident his bus company will stay afloat after licence issue
After yesterday’s news that a Caithness bus company was in danger of losing its operating licence, its manager has vowed to keep the business afloat.
Aaron Wilson is manager of Aaron’s of Wick which runs a fleet of buses from its base at Rutherford Street as a major public transport provider for Caithness.
Reacting to yesterday’s statement by the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland that the company was in danger of having its licence revoked, Mr Wilson said: “We asked for a period of grace but they didn’t give it to us.
“However, we have a new transport manager in place now so I’m really confident we can keep it.
“It was just because of the transport manager situation that this all happened and we’ve now put another appeal in for an extension from the 5th until they decide.”
Mr Wilson said he is not worrying about the matter as he feels very confident of a positive outcome after the two-week extension runs out on August 19.
On July 29, the Traffic Commissioner for Scotland issued a statement that Aaron's of Wick Limited has had its “licence revoked without a public inquiry”. The Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) Scotland is responsible for licensing and regulating the activities of goods vehicle operators, bus and coach operators, and the registration of local bus services.
In its notices and proceedings for Scotland, the OTC states that Aaron's of Wick Ltd (director Richard Wilson) has had its licence revoked and that “registered bus services running under this licence have also been revoked with immediate effect”.
When asked to comment on the matter, a Highland Council spokesperson said: “The Traffic Commissioner’s office advised Aaron’s of Wick recently that their operator’s licence was being revoked. Highland Council was in touch with the Traffic Commissioner’s office last week, as well as with the company, and have seen confirmation that their licence is being continued until 5 August to give the company time to submit an appeal.
“Despite the licence extension which has been allowed, the Traffic Commissioner’s bulletin which was published 29th July shows the licence as having been revoked. The Council is preparing tender invitations as well as specifications in case they are required.”
Mr Wilson added: “We’ve now got a transport manager in place and we’ve appealed their decision.The appeal went in yesterday and I think we’ll be fine.”
The bus company had previously experienced hardship when the Covid pandemic hit in 2020 but recuperated a couple of years later to win lucrative Highland Council contracts and add to its fleet of vehicles.
Older buses were also replaced with newer PSVAR (Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations) compliant vehicles and the company took on school runs as well as many service contracts for routes in Caithness and rail replacement coaches when needed. Aaron’s also provided services that tied in with the arrival of cruise ships at Invergordon and Scrabster.
