THE regular failure to provide some bus services in and around Salisbury by the Wilts and Dorset Bus Co, which operates buses serving Pewsey and Marlborough, has cost the firm a penalty of £18,500.

Traffic Commissioners for the Western Traffic Area held an inquiry after receiving complaints from fare paying passengers that services into and around the city frequently ran late or not at all.

After hearing evidence from passengers, traffic commissioner Philip Brown found that the bus company had failed to prove its registered services in accordance with the terms of the Transport Act.

A statement issued by the Department for Transport, Local Government and Regions said: "Accordingly the company has been ordered to repay an amount equal to four per cent of any amount paid to them by way of fuel duty rebate, amounting to £18,500.

"The traffic commissioner determined that, with the reasons given for the failure of the operator, it would not be appropriate to take any action against this operator's licence."

The bus company had told the inquiry that its services in and around the city had been curtailed because of a shortage of drivers, a problem which had been addressed.

Complaints about the services run by the company out of its Salisbury base were backed by monitoring carried out by bus compliance officers.

They found that of the 747 buses due in the period that was being monitored 39 were missing and of those that did turn up, 182 were later than the five-minute tolerance.

The company was represented at the inquiry by Geoffrey Jones who said road problems in Salisbury were the cause.