DPC hit on drivers hours
Page 19
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• District Parcels Carriers and nine of its drivers were ordered to pay nds and costs totalling £7,866 fter they admitted a series of rivers hours and tachograph ffences before the Bury iagistrates last week.
The drivers admitted 52 ffences of exceeding 41/2 ours driving without taking le required amount of break,
exceeding daily driving nits. Four other drivers had aen dealt with earlier. The mnpany admitted 70 offences permitting drivers to break ie hours rules and 10 offences failing to produce tachograph !cords.
Prosecuting for the North 'estern Traffic Area, hristopher Worthy said the fences had come to light lowing a check on the mnpany's tachograph records r October and November )88. A large number of fences were discovered, of hich those before the court ere samples. The traffic caminer had also looked at Le charts for July 1988, to see the offences were typical, id found 53 similar offences. The company's charts were ialysed by computer, and the drivers signed the print-outs when infringements were brought to their attention. The company was consequently aware of the infringements, but no action was taken to prevent drivers going out the following week and committing the same offence. It must have been obvious to the company that the steps taken were insufficient, said Worthy.
Defending, John Backhouse said it was easy to criticise after the event. The offences arose from the way the drivers had tackled their collection and delivery work. They had been taking breaks, but not long enough to comply with the regulations. As long as the drivers' attention was being drawn to discrepancies revealed by the computer print-out, the company had not thought it was committing any offence.
The drivers were fined between 26 and 248, and were each ordered to pay £30 costs. The company was fined £6,800 with costs of £640.