‘Disappointment’ for Fylde coast bus boss as Supreme Court appeal is refused

A Blackpool bus company owner whose licence was seized after he allegedly posted a video online of a traffic boss speeding and running a red light has had his appeal to Supreme Court refused.
Catch 22 buses will continueCatch 22 buses will continue
Catch 22 buses will continue

A Blackpool bus company owner whose licence was seized after he allegedly posted a video online of a traffic boss speeding and running a red light has had his appeal to Supreme Court refused.

Catch 22 director Philip Higgs had wanted to appeal against the decision of an upper tribunal in December 2017, which upheld his disqualification after he posted the video, which allegedly showed former Senior Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell on YouTube.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Higgs made the video after his company, which is based at Brinwell Road Bus Garage in Mereside, was placed under a two-year investigation by the Vehicle and Operator Services Authority in September 2012, when his company was called Oakwood Travel Services Ltd.

In June 2015, Ms Bell concluded that the company had lost its repute and that Mr Higgs and Catch22 should be disqualified from operating for seven years.

Following this, Mr Higgs instructed a private investigator to conduct a covert surveillance of Ms Bell.

The PI followed her for three days and filmed her, among other things, driving her personal car.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A video was then made by a third party using the driving footage, which included captions written by Mr Higgs alleging that Ms Bell had turned left against a red light and had travelled at excessive speed along two separate motorways.

The video was uploaded to YouTube and posted to a number of people, including Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw and the Department of Transport.

Mr Higgs was later arrested and issued with a harassment warning, though he was not charged.

His operator’s licence was revoked and a 12-month ban was imposed by Deputy Traffic Commissioner John Baker in 2016.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Higgs appealed the judgement at the Court of Appeal, who found in favour of Mr Baker and upheld the judgement.

Mr Higgs then sought leave to appeal to the Supreme Court, but this has now been refused.

However Catch22Bus’ services are set to continue and Mr Higgs has reassured customers that all routes and buses will remain in service for Fylde coast residents.

Speaking to the Gazette, Mr Higgs said: “Obviously I am disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision, and as a result of the decision our business operations have been restructured to continue operations”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He added: “There is action still continuing to bring the former Senior Traffic Commissioner to account following the conclusion of an investigation by a retired High Court Judge into allegations of ‘extremely serious misconduct.

“The Judge reported back in September 2018 but so far the Department for Transport has failed to publish the Report on the basis that it would ‘be detrimental’ to the Traffic Commissioner who resigned ‘prior to the conclusion of an internal process’.”

Mr Higgs also said that a number of legal documents relating to the long running case can be viewed on the company’s website.

Mr Higgs is the only listed shareholder in another company called Coastliner Buses Ltd, which operates from the same Mereside site, and he also owns and manages two other bus companies. Mr Higgs did not confirm if these were restructured yet.

The Officer of the Traffic Commissioner was contacted for comment on the story.