Owner-driver beats council
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A driver has been granted an 0licence after Western Traffic Commissioner Christopher Heaps accepted his explanation for a conviction for falsifying a tachograph record.
Peter Feszczak, trading as PFE, was seeking a licence for two vehicles and two trailers based at Spelthorne Commercials, Langley, Slough. His application was opposed by Slough Borough Council. The hearing had previously been adjourned so Feszczak could explain why he had failed to declare a conviction for falsifying a tachograph record in his application form (CM1319 Jan).
The TO heard that Feszczak had worked for David Harwood but now wanted to be an ownerdriver. Two vehicles had been applied for in case he needed to hire in. He planned to work with a tractive unit hauling Harwood's trailers to Italy and Greece and would be away for six days at a time. Spelthorne Commercials would handle the maintenance.
The council had indicated that they would not oppose the parking of the tractive unit alone at Spelthorne's base if hours restrictions were also imposed.
Asked why he had failed to declare the conviction in his application form, Feszczak said it was a slip of the mind: having paid the fine he had thought that was the end of it. it had not been done to hide anything as he had not exceeded the hours limits. He had taken a vehicle over and the previous driver had left a chart in the tachograph which he put his name on.
The TC granted the licence but imposed conditions restricting the hours of movement; limited parking at the site to tractive units; and prohibiting parking, loading or unloading on the road next to the site.