Transport group completes deal after provider crashed into administration

Accessible Transport Group

Administrators have successfully plotted a route through a tricky business rescue to secure the future of the provision of accessible transport services for the West Midlands.

Accessible Transport Group employed 700 staff and operated more than 600 vehicles from nine depots across the region when it went into administration in March.

However because the collapsed company was a charity it had operated with a variety of exemptions which made it difficult
to transfer over to a commercial operator.

Matt Ingram, Duff & Phelps

Joint administrators Matt Ingram and Tyrone Courtman from Duff & Phelps have now completed a deal that was first announced two weeks ago, although the identity of the buyer was not revealed.

National Express subsidiary West Midlands Accessible Transport has taken over the group, which includes Ring and Ride West Midlands and Accessible Transport Group Contract Services.

The group provides door to door transport to 11,000 people with disability or mobility restrictions, daily home to school transport to 2,500 for those with special educational needs, and operated several subsidised bus routes to rural and underserved communities.

Ingram said: “I am delighted that we can finally assure all users of these fantastic services, of certainty for the future.

“Since the group entered administration earlier this year many people have come together and worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome, including my own team and our advisors, the group’s employees, representatives of the local authorities and the purchasers and their advisors.”

Russ Hill, Squire Patton Boggs

The administrators, advised by Russ Hill of Squire Patton Boggs, had secured a comprehensive service agreement after discussions with Transport for West Midlands and Birmingham City Council which enabled them to continue trading.

During the administration, Birmingham City Council even awarded several additional routes to the group in respect of the home to school service.

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