AS someone who works in Knutsford and relies on the 27 bus service to get to work, I’m left wondering why Cheshire East Council seemed to miss the warning signs that GHA Coaches were struggling.

Cancellations due to bus failures or driver shortages weren’t uncommon.

While they had an interesting solution to replacing non-accessible single decker buses which were outlawed on January 1 this year – replacing them with double decker buses which really belonged on the scrap heap, with legislation not requiring double decker buses to be accessible until January 1 next year.

A number of experienced drivers started disappearing and being replaced by ones whom didn’t seem to have been trained on the routes, also suggested something was wrong.

One of the departed drivers set up a Facebook page highlighting problems at the company where he claimed four leased buses were repossessed due to the operator not keeping up to date with payments on the lease and that GHA were in court regarding Health and Safety regulations.

Yet it seems Cheshire East ignored those warning signs and awarded new long term contracts to GHA for the 200 Wilmslow to Manchester Airport and 19 Macclesfield to Prestbury services only months before GHA eventually went out of business.

Ian Long Macclesfield