Davidson disqualified
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• Fraserburgh owner-driver George Davidson has been disqualifled indefinitely from holding an 0-licence by Scottish Deputy Traffic Commissioner Richard MacFarlane.
The Deputy Commissioner imposed the disqualification order when he revoked the licence held by Davidson and his wife Anne, trading as George Davidson Haulage Contractor.
In February 1996 Davidson's vehicle was involved in a fatal accident on the M6 while carrying fish for Blue Water Shipping. Ile was subsequently prosecuted at Carlisle Crown Court for driving without due care and attention and falsifying tachograph records, and fined £600.
In September Davidson was fined a total of £1,400 by Kendal magistrates for falsifying tachograph charts and obstructing a police officer.
MacFarlane said that in December 1995 Davidson had been convicted of two tachograph offences at Perth Sheriff's Court. He had also been convicted of speeding in France and Spain and of having an expired Eurodisc in Belgium.
He noted with the deepest regret that at no time had Davidson shown any remorse or expressed any sympathy to the relatives of the (lane driver killed in the accident. Indeed, after the accident Davidson had been more concerned about his load of fresh fish than anything else, said MacFarlane. That was reprehensible. It was a matter of regret that the driver of a heavy goods vehicle subject to the operator's licensing system had been responsible for causing the death of another road user.
This was the second time the partnership had been called to a public inquiry said MacFarlane. Davidson had continued driving the partnership's vehicle illegally and with the benefit of a "wire" designed to deceive and make the tachograph appear to function normally. Davidson had installed and used a wire. He had interfered with the speed limiter and had deliberately broken just about every rule and regulation designed to limit drivers' hours.
The convictions appeared to have had no deterrent effect and Davidson had continued to offend. He had been prepared to compromise road safety for others and accordingly Davidson no longer met the requirement to be of good repute, said MacFarlane.