'Luckyloperatol fined £3,900
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MAGISTRATES who had inflicted fines of £3,900, on Bannon and Ward Transport Ltd, Dewsbur for 78 drivers, hours and records offences, had been extremely lenient and the company had bef very lucky. This was said by Judge Raymond Dean, at Wakefield Crown Court, last week, whE the company appealed against the amount of the fines.
As a result of the Judge's comments, the company decided to withdraw its appeal.
For the Yorkshire Licensing Authority, Robert Smith said the offences, which were breaches of the international journey regulations, included causing false records to be kept and permitting drivers to drive excessive hours and have insufficient rest. Judge Dean said he regarded the excessive hours and insufficient rest offences as most serious as they affect public safety.
After being asked what the maximum fine could be, Mr Smith said the company could have been fined as much as £200 on each offence, a total of £15,600.
This was a case where the company had encouraged the drivers to commit the offenci on journeys to Spai Germany, Switzerland ar Italy.
The LA's staff had hz occasion to examine ti company's internation journey permits and in doh so, compared them with ti drivers' records. They bore relation to one anothE Running sheets were kept the drivers, these tallied wi the permits, and the drive were paid on the basis of t running sheets and not t drivers' records.
It was obvious that t company must have be aware of what was going When interviewed, a direct of the company had said close check was kept on t amount of diesel fuel used. T vehicles must have used tht times the amount of fuel U. was apparent from the drive records alone.
Judge Dean said that wh the company's fines WE compared with the fact ti each of the drivers involi, had been fined £300, it seerr to him the company had bE very lucky.
After David Mitchell, for 1 company, had indicated wished to withdraw t appeal, Judge Dean said it I been very wise to take ti course. He directed that • full costs of the appeal sho be met by Bannon and War