£2,990 the price of overloading
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A DURHAM haulier was fined a total of £1,550 for overloaded vehicles at Gosforth Magistrates Court last week, and five of his drivers were fined between E60 and £115.
John Scott and Son (Coal Merchant) Ltd was carrying rock salt from Victoria sidings Newcastle upon Tyne to various local authority depots in the Newcastle area, when one of its vehicles was observed, apparently overloaded by a DTp traffic examiner.
A check of the weighbridge ticket at the siding revealed 187 cases of vehicles being overloaded, and the company was subsequently prosecuted.
In evidence, it emerged that some of the vehicles were fairly new and had not yet been plated. The drivers said they had no knowledge of the manufacturers' plate, and were under the impression that the vehicles were capable of being loaded up to 16 tons gross.
The manufacturers' design plate, however, showed the gross weight of 14',42 tons.
Cross-examined by Michael Gaunt, appearing for the DTp, driver Hayton agreed that he had been convicted of a similar offence concerning the same vehicles early in 1976 when the manufacturers' plate had been pointed out to him.
In a statement by the drivers, read out to the court by Mr Gaunt, it was admitted that drivers had been in the habit of weighing the vehicles themselves on occasions, when the weighbridge attendant had been absent.
Out of 187 charges of overloading, the company received an absolute discharge in 177 instances. It was fined £150 each on the remaining 10, with £50 costs.
Driver Dominic Hayton, charged with 42 offences, received an absolute discharge on 38, was fined £25 for three offences and £15 for one offence, with £15 costs — a total of £105.
Driver Kenneth Calltman, charged with 100 offences, received an absolute discharge on 96, and was fined £25 on the remaining four, with £15 costs — making a total of £115.
Driver Frank Stewart, charged with seven offences, received an absolute discharge on five, and was fined £25 each on two offences, with £15 costs — a total of £65.
Driver Henry McAvoy, charged with 26 offences, received an absolute discharge on 23, and was fined £25 each on each of three charges, with • £15 costs — a total of £90. Driver Richard Wandess, charged with 12 offences, received an absolute discharge on 10, and was fined £25 on each of two charges, with £15 costs — a total of £65.