Flights tripped up on the sun run
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3 HTS Coach Travel, of rlsworth, Birmingham, and f its drivers were last week I a total of £6,900 plus 30 costs for breaking drivhours regulations.
irmingham Magistrates rt imposed the fines after its admitted that its drivers Ired certain EEC regulations journeys to the south of ice and Spain last Sepber.
le offences were brought to notice of the police by Paul nedy, then a driver for its, who said he had been ;surised by the firm into not 1g proper rest periods. He that he hoped his discloIs would prevent other drivbeing forced to bow to lar pressures.
n behalf of the company, Geay Davis said that despite .iring a very large number of is, Flights had never had an dent involving injury to a
3enger.
3 also pointed out that there e very comfortable resting ities on board for drivers in they were not driving. re was no suggestion that of the drivers had been at wheel longer than they ht to have been. It was just the regulations would not driver take his legal rest on coach, even if a proper bunk pitted; this had been the :tice of Flights drivers.
-osecuting on behalf of West Hands Traffic Commis iers, Peter Wiseman said that ht's three-man crews on the r runs from Birmingham to in and the South of France c much shorter breaks than
the ten hours stipulated.
The firm's managing director, Kenneth Flight said later: "At no time was the public in danger. There were always three drivers aboard taking it in turns."
Flights has since altered its schedule by stationing a fourth driver on the Continent to pick up the coach for the last leg of the journey.
After the case, one of the drivers, Peter Jacobs said: "The truth is that the laws are flouted all the time. It is impossible to operate continental services and keep strictly within the law."
The magistrates fined the company £3,995 with £1,600 costs. The drivers were fined amounts varying between £25 and £175 and were ordered to pay costs of between £10 and £60.