A2Z Travel
Encyclopedia
A2Z Travel was a diversified transportation company operating mainly in the Walsall
and Wolverhampton
areas of the West Midlands
in west central England
, also providing some bus services in South Staffordshire
and Birmingham
. The company, which started in the taxi business in 1998, expanded into minibus and coach service in 2003 and, in 2005 began undertaking local bus service.
They operated a variety of buses on numerous commercial and subsidised services as part of Network West Midlands.
They ceased operating as of 23:59 on 31 March 2009, following the revocation of their licence by the West Midlands Transport Commissioner and several failed appeals. The company then went into administration a few days later.
step-entrance single deck buses and a Dennis Dart
. Over time more Dennis Dart
s appeared, followed by fifteen Leyland Olympian
Double Deck buses. These buses were withdrawn in December 2007, and replaced by more Darts and Lances. Until withdrawal this was the fleet.
Blue Squares = Denotes this service is subsidised by either South Staffordshire County Council or Centro
.
It is worth noting that 75% of the services operated by A2Z Travel were on a subsidised basis.
Double Decks), however, in January 2008, another VOSA inspection found a further 5 buses to be in an unfit condition. For this matter the company was fined over £19,000.
In October 2008, it was reported in the Express & Star
Newspaper that the company had had its licence revoked with immediate effect by the West Midlands Traffic Commissioner. However, A2Z decided to appeal, and as such the company continued to operate until their appeal process ended on March 31 2009. The report revealed damning claims about the company including:
Despite this, the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, Centro, continued to allow the company to win contracts to operate new susidised services in the area.
, appealing against the revocation of their licence.
Despite being hopeful of overturning the decision made by the West Midlands Transport Commissioner, A2Z Travel were unsuccessful and ordered to stop operating all of their services from March 31 2009.
Shahzad Ali revealed through the Express & Star
Newspaper on the 14th January 2009, that the company was talking to Legal Representatives whilst waiting for the written confirmation to arrive within the next 21 days. He also revealed the company was considering re-appealing to the House of Lords
.
However, despite numerous attempts the company did not survive. After a round of emergency tendering for the remaining services was entered on 30 March 2009 by Centro
, A2Z Travel ceased to operate from the evening of March 31.
, a similarly sized company based in nearby Wednesfield
. The deal saw Choice take on a number of A2Zs routes, in addition to fifteen of their buses.
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
and Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
areas of the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
in west central England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, also providing some bus services in South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire
South Staffordshire is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. The district lies to the north and west of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, bordering Shropshire to the west and Worcestershire to the south...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The company, which started in the taxi business in 1998, expanded into minibus and coach service in 2003 and, in 2005 began undertaking local bus service.
They operated a variety of buses on numerous commercial and subsidised services as part of Network West Midlands.
They ceased operating as of 23:59 on 31 March 2009, following the revocation of their licence by the West Midlands Transport Commissioner and several failed appeals. The company then went into administration a few days later.
Fleet
A2Z Travel started bus operations using a two Dennis LanceDennis Lance
The Dennis Lance is a single-decker bus built by Dennis between 1991 and 2000, replacing the Dennis Falcon. Its low-floor variant, the Dennis Lance SLF, was built between 1993 and 1996...
step-entrance single deck buses and a Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
. Over time more Dennis Dart
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
s appeared, followed by fifteen Leyland Olympian
Leyland Olympian
The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
Double Deck buses. These buses were withdrawn in December 2007, and replaced by more Darts and Lances. Until withdrawal this was the fleet.
Routes
Below is a list of the bus routes operated by A2Z Travel at withdrawal:| Route | Starting Point | Terminating Point |
| 3 | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... |
Penkridge Penkridge Penkridge is a market town and ancient parish in Staffordshire, England with a population of 7,836 . Many locals refer to it as a village, although it has a long history as an ecclesiastical and commercial centre. Its main distinction in the Middle Ages was as the site of an important collegiate... |
| 18 | Lyndale Park | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... |
| 23 | Bloxwich Bloxwich Bloxwich is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England, with a population of around 40,000 people.-Early history:Bloxwich has its origins at least as early as the Anglo-Saxon period, when the place name evidence suggests it was a small Mercian settlement named after the... |
Brownhills Brownhills Brownhills is a town in the West Midlands, England. Located on the edge of Cannock Chase near the large artificial lake Chasewater, it is north-east of Walsall and a similar distance south-west of Lichfield. It is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall and the Aldridge-Brownhills... |
| 33 | Hednesford Hednesford Hednesford is a small town and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, within Cannock Chase District. It adjoins Cannock Chase to the north, and the town of Cannock to the south. It had a 2010 mid-year estimated population of 16,928.-History:... |
Norton Canes Norton Canes Norton Canes is a village and civil parish on the southern periphery of Cannock Chase District, in Staffordshire, England. It is situated out of the centre of Cannock. At the 2001 census it had a population of 6,394... |
| 56A | Brownhills Brownhills Brownhills is a town in the West Midlands, England. Located on the edge of Cannock Chase near the large artificial lake Chasewater, it is north-east of Walsall and a similar distance south-west of Lichfield. It is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall and the Aldridge-Brownhills... |
Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a... |
| 62 | Cannock Cannock Cannock is the most populous of three towns in the district of Cannock Chase in the central southern part of the county of Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England.... |
Lichfield Lichfield Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham... |
| 70 | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... |
Hednesford Hednesford Hednesford is a small town and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, within Cannock Chase District. It adjoins Cannock Chase to the north, and the town of Cannock to the south. It had a 2010 mid-year estimated population of 16,928.-History:... |
| 76 | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... |
Stafford Stafford Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14... |
| 301 | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... |
Mossley Mossley Mossley is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. The town is located in the upper section of the Tame valley in the foothills of the Pennines, northeast of Ashton-under-Lyne and east of Manchester.Mossley has the distinction of... |
| 303 A2Z Travel Bus route 303 The 303 is a bus route in the West Midlands area of England. It is operated by Diamond Bus under subsidy to Centro.-Present:The 303 is currently operated by Diamond Bus using Dennis Darts or Optare Solos... |
Bilston Bilston Bilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and... |
County Bridge Estate |
| 322 | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... |
The Paddocks/The Butts |
| 327 | Willenhall Willenhall Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire... |
Wednesbury Wednesbury Wednesbury is a market town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. Similarly to the word Wednesday, it is pronounced .-Pre-Medieval and Medieval times:... |
| 328 | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... |
Bloxwich Bloxwich Bloxwich is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England, with a population of around 40,000 people.-Early history:Bloxwich has its origins at least as early as the Anglo-Saxon period, when the place name evidence suggests it was a small Mercian settlement named after the... |
| 329 | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... |
Bloxwich Bloxwich Bloxwich is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England, with a population of around 40,000 people.-Early history:Bloxwich has its origins at least as early as the Anglo-Saxon period, when the place name evidence suggests it was a small Mercian settlement named after the... |
| 331 A2Z Travel Bus Route 331 The 331, 332 & 549 were three bus route operating in the Walsall area of the West Midlands, England.The routes linked Walsall with Lodge Farm via The Manor Hospital, Alumwell and Bentley... |
Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... |
Willenhall Willenhall Willenhall is a town in the Black Country area of the West Midlands of England, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is situated between Wolverhampton and Walsall, historically in the county of Staffordshire... |
| 341E | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... |
Coppic Farm Way |
| 351 | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... |
Hednesford Hednesford Hednesford is a small town and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, within Cannock Chase District. It adjoins Cannock Chase to the north, and the town of Cannock to the south. It had a 2010 mid-year estimated population of 16,928.-History:... |
| 375 | Aldridge Aldridge Aldridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands, England. Historically it was part of the county of Staffordshire, but in 1974 it was incorporated into the Walsall borough as well as the West Midlands county.- History :... |
Old Oscott Old Oscott Old Oscott is an area of Great Barr, Birmingham, England . The suburb forms a triangle bounded to the north by Pheasey, to the west by Perry Beeches, and to the east by Kingstanding. The Birmingham City Council ward that covers the area is called simply Oscott.The area has been known locally as... |
| 376 | Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... |
Kingstanding Kingstanding Kingstanding is an area in north Birmingham, England. It gives its name to a ward in the Erdington council constituency. Kingstanding ward includes the areas; Perry Common, St. Mary's College, Witton Lakes and parts of Kingstanding, Wyrley Birch and New Oscott... |
| 425 | Hamstead Hamstead Hamstead can refer to:* Hamstead, Isle of Wight* Hamstead, West Midlands**Hamstead railway station* Hamstead Marshall, Berkshire, England.**Hamstead Lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal- See also :*Hampstead *Hempstead... |
Great Barr Great Barr Great Barr is a large and loosely-defined area which straddles the boundaries of Birmingham, West Bromwich and Walsall , West Midlands, England... |
| 511 | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... |
Underhill Underhill -Places:*Underhill, Dorset, England*Underhill School, Barnet, England*Underhill Stadium, Barnet, England, the home ground of Barnet F.C.*Underhill, Vermont, United States*Underhill, Wisconsin, a town, United States*Underhill , Wisconsin... |
| 522 | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... |
Prince End |
| 575 | Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region... |
Ettingshall Ettingshall Ettingshall is an area of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, and is a ward of Wolverhampton City Council.-History:Ettingshall was mentioned as an ancient manor in the Domesday Book of 1086... |
| 680 | Moxley Moxley Moxley is a part of Darlaston in the West Midlands. It was first developed during the early part of the 19th century when a handful of terraced houses were built to accommodate locals working in factories and mines and the area was created in 1845 out of land from Darlaston, Bilston and... |
Lower Bradley Circular |
| 880 | Stafford Stafford Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14... |
Perton Perton Perton is a large village and civil parish located in Staffordshire, England. It lies to the south of Codsall, and to the west of the city of Wolverhampton.-Perton:... |
| 991 A2Z Travel Route 991 The 991 is a bus route in the West Midlands and South Staffordshire areas of the United Kingdom. It is operated by Midland, from its depot in Wednesfield.-Present:... |
Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... |
Lichfield Lichfield Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham... |
| 991A A2Z Travel Route 991 The 991 is a bus route in the West Midlands and South Staffordshire areas of the United Kingdom. It is operated by Midland, from its depot in Wednesfield.-Present:... |
Lichfield Lichfield Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham... |
Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative... |
Blue Squares = Denotes this service is subsidised by either South Staffordshire County Council or Centro
CentrO
CentrO is part of a large commercial development in Oberhausen, Germany, called the "Neue Mitte" or "new center". A large steel production plant used to occupy the site until the late 1980s. Besides the CentrO shopping mall the area today houses attractions such as a children's theme park and a...
.
It is worth noting that 75% of the services operated by A2Z Travel were on a subsidised basis.
Revocation
In November 2007, a VOSA inspection at A2Z Travel found that 11 buses had defects. A2Z immediately took these vehicles off the road and withdrew them from service (these buses being Leyland OlympianLeyland Olympian
The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
Double Decks), however, in January 2008, another VOSA inspection found a further 5 buses to be in an unfit condition. For this matter the company was fined over £19,000.
In October 2008, it was reported in the Express & Star
Express & Star
The Express & Star is an evening newspaper based in Wolverhampton, England, published Monday to Saturday in nine different editions covering the Black Country, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area from Tamworth to Kidderminster. It as widely perceived as being moderately right-wing...
Newspaper that the company had had its licence revoked with immediate effect by the West Midlands Traffic Commissioner. However, A2Z decided to appeal, and as such the company continued to operate until their appeal process ended on March 31 2009. The report revealed damning claims about the company including:
- A check on the running of its service revealed that of 692 buses checked, 513 (nearly 75%) were either running early, late or did not turn up at all.
- The Company Director, Sarfaiz Ali, was criticised for lacking management control of the business.
- The Company Transport Manager, Shahzad Ali, was criticised for failing to maintain a roadworthy fleet of vehicles despite promises to VOSA.
Despite this, the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive, Centro, continued to allow the company to win contracts to operate new susidised services in the area.
Transport Tribunal Appeal
On January 13 2009, A2Z Travel appeared in front of the Transport Tribunal in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, appealing against the revocation of their licence.
Despite being hopeful of overturning the decision made by the West Midlands Transport Commissioner, A2Z Travel were unsuccessful and ordered to stop operating all of their services from March 31 2009.
Shahzad Ali revealed through the Express & Star
Express & Star
The Express & Star is an evening newspaper based in Wolverhampton, England, published Monday to Saturday in nine different editions covering the Black Country, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area from Tamworth to Kidderminster. It as widely perceived as being moderately right-wing...
Newspaper on the 14th January 2009, that the company was talking to Legal Representatives whilst waiting for the written confirmation to arrive within the next 21 days. He also revealed the company was considering re-appealing to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
However, despite numerous attempts the company did not survive. After a round of emergency tendering for the remaining services was entered on 30 March 2009 by Centro
CentrO
CentrO is part of a large commercial development in Oberhausen, Germany, called the "Neue Mitte" or "new center". A large steel production plant used to occupy the site until the late 1980s. Besides the CentrO shopping mall the area today houses attractions such as a children's theme park and a...
, A2Z Travel ceased to operate from the evening of March 31.
Choice Travel Deal
In late March 2009, and with closure imminent, A2Z Travel undertook a deal with Choice TravelChoice Travel
Midland, previously known as Choice Travel is a limited bus company operating mostly in the Wolverhampton area of the West Midlands. Some services also operate in the Staffordshire area.-History:...
, a similarly sized company based in nearby Wednesfield
Wednesfield
Wednesfield lies at , and is located to the northeast of Wolverhampton city centre on the northern fringe of the West Midlands conurbation...
. The deal saw Choice take on a number of A2Zs routes, in addition to fifteen of their buses.