Owner kept in Ark
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A Welsh Maier, every one of whose drivers, including his own son, were caught falsifying tachograph charts, is waiting to see whether or not he is to lose his 0-licence.
Welsh Deputy Traffic Commissioner Alan Bourlet is to announce his decision in writing on what action he proposes to take against the 10-vehicle licence held by Porthhmadogbased Owen Jones following a Caernarfon disciplinary inquiry.
Traffic examiner Geoffrey Whitley said the business was in effect a partnership between Jones and his wife Doreen, and they operated tippers tranSporting materials from the North Wales quarries. When Jones was asked to produce 12 months' tachograph records, only a quarter were handed over. Documentary evidence from the quarries proved that hundreds of journeys were unaccounted for.
An examination of the charts produced revealed a pattern of fraud whereby drivers were recording rest when they v working. In some cases em journeys were unrecorded, the motive was clearly comr cial gain.
Seven of the eight dr* involved had so far been pr cuted for 79 falsifia offences, each being fined S with £100 costs.
For Jones, Jonathan Las said that there were no pi ous convictions in his 25 yi of operation. At the time Jo sister was terminally ill, an( accepted that checks had been carried out as they sh, have been.
All the drivers had insi: that Jones had no knowledg what was going on.
'The quarries were gal a financial advantage... I must have realised they v asking the drivers to do v that could not be done legi said Lawton.