Kestrel found guilty
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111 Drivers' hours offences cost Haddow Holdings, trading as Kestrel Tex tiles, and two of the company's drivers a total of £1,225 in fines and costs when they appeared before Bradford magistrates.
Michael Cottrell admitted one offence of exceeding the daily driving limit and four of exceeding 41/2 hours driving without the required break. He was fined E250. Eric Clarke admitted two offences of exceeding 41/2 hours driving without the required break and was fined E200.
The company, of Canal Road, Bradford, admitted permitting the offences, and was fined E700; the company and the drivers were each ordered to pay £25 costs.
Senior traffic examiner Bryan Walscher said that a check was made on the company's vehicles at work, and then a request was made for the production of tachograph charts. The offences were clear on the face of the charts.
On one occasion Cottrell had driven for 14hrs 50min in one day, and had driven for as long as 9hrs 20min without taking a 45min break. Clarke had driven for as much as 8hrs finfin without taking a 45min break.
At one time the company had employed a transport manager, but as it held a restricted licence a qualified transport manager was not required by law.
When the transport manager left in November the warehouse foreman, who had no knowledge of transport law, was put in charge. There was no system for checking tachograph charts.
Defending, Bruce Buchan said the company had thought that it had made adequate arrangements by putting the warehouse foreman in charge. He had said that he knew what he was doing, but it turned out that he did not.