THE owners of an Exeter coach firm will have to wait a few weeks to discover whether it can continue operating.
Founder and director of Carmel Coaches Tony Hazell and his son Michael face losing their operating licence if their appeal to the Upper Tribunal is unsuccessful.
The appeal hearing, held in London today, was told about a number of serious defects that had been found on vehicles used by the Marsh Barton company over the last three years.
The judge described the firm's maintenance as a "shambles." Among the issues raised was that brake defects had been reported eight times before something was done and a jammed emergency exit had not been fixed when it was flagged up.
The company's MOT rate of failure was also double the national average.
The judge was told the company had expanded too far and too fast since in recent years when it acquired two other companies Tedburn Coaches and Dawlish Coaches and added extra vehicles to its fleet.
Representing, Carmel Coaches at the hearing, Tim Nesbitt, said that jobs were at stake if the company lost its licence.
He argued that it would be more proportionate to set a limit of the number of vehicles the firm operates.
The operating licence was taken away shortly after a fatal coach crash in Cornwall following safety concerns that had been raised over a number of years. The Traffic Commissioner said the crash did not have any impact on her decision.
The owners were initially told they must stop operating from July 31 but appealed and were allowed to continue operating - including carrying out several school runs in Devon – ahead of the hearing.
A final judgment following today's hearing is now expected to be made within a few weeks.
Mr Hazell said if he loses the appeal around 50 jobs will be at risk. He described the original decision as "harsh" and said he was in confident mood ahead of the appeal. He said: "We are hopeful about the appeal as we feel the licence shouldn't have been revoked in the first place. The initial decision was a bad one – and we are hopeful that the tribunal will see it as such."
