Convictions impact r.. A series of
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convictions, including drivers' hours and tachograph offences, have led to the licence held by Cheddar-based Glen Evans being out by a quarter for three weeks.
Evans, who holds a licence for eight vehicles and one trailer, appeared before Western Traffic Commissioner Phillip Brown at a Bristol disciplinary inquiry.
Last September Evans was fined £1,500 by Taunton Deane magistrates for failing to have a two-yearly tachograph check, using a vehicle with the wrong rate of excise duty and using it without a test certificate.
In May he was convicted by Sedgemoor magistrates of per
mitting breaches of the drivers hours and tachograph rules. Evans did not notify the commissioner of the convictions.
Traffic examiner Brian Livings said he found irregclarifies after inspecting Evans' tachograph records in January 1999. A further examination of the records for October and November revealed flirter irregularities which led to the prosecution.
Two drivers had been taking insufficient breaks and some had failed to use the mode s■vitch to record breaks. However, Livings was satisfied that Evans had put s-ys terns in place to check the tachograph records and spot errors.
Evans said that one of the drivers who had been given a new vehicle believed the tachograph to be automatic. All the drivers had been issued with letters explainng the drivers' hours and tachograph rules.
Evans said he now employed his daughter to check the drivers' hours, fuel consumption and other aspects of his operation each day. The commissioner said Evans had not lost his repute, but some sort of disciplinary action was necessary.