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Bus firm who ran the Number 80 Preston to Blackpool service goes bust

Posted on - 22nd December, 2013 - 9:35pm | Author - | Posted in - Business, Preston News, Transport
Classic Bus North West also operated special buses for weddings and other events

Classic Bus North West also operated special buses for weddings and other events

Drivers for a bus firm which ran the Number 80 route between Preston and Blackpool has gone bust.

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Lancashire County Council announced on Friday that Classic Bus North West had terminated the route.

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Blog Preston has obtained a copy of the letter given to drivers on Friday announcing the firm was short of money.

It leaves many drivers facing a Christmas without being paid and with the threat of redundancy hanging over them.

The letter – dated Wednesday 18 December – states: “Due to persistent problems with late payments, I have decided to simplify the busniness over the next few weeks and from next week we will only operate service 22 on the Oakwood Travel Services licence. The Red Rocket and service 80 will cease to operate.

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“Classic Bus North West will cease trading.”

Philip Higgs, owner of Classic Bus North West, is believed to be in Hungary over the Christmas period.

One driver, who did not wish to be named, said: “The first I knew about it was when I finished my shift on Friday evening, I was handed the letter by a lead driver. The bit that made me angry was that the letter is dated the 18th and held back to the 20th after Philip had flown off to Hungary. None of us have been paid, pay day is round about the 10th of the month but it was always late.”

The letter states a “large number of drivers will become redundant.”

Lancashire County Council have said they will be taking up the issue of the short-notice termination with Classic Bus North West.

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Bus firms are required to give 56 days notice to the Traffic Commissioner.

The county council had been subsidising the evening and Sunday service between Poulton and Preston.

Readers of Blog Preston have been voicing their concern about rural areas on the edge of Preston being left isolated without the Number 80 route.

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