Drivers fired for hours offences
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• Wigtonshire haulier Robert Burns, and a company of which he is a director. Robert Burns (Refrigerated Transport), have appeared before Scottish Traffic Commissioner Michael Betts following breaches of the drivers' hours and tachograph rules.
Department of Transport traffic examiner Averil Boyle said that in August 1994 Burns, the company and a number of drivers were convicted of offences relating to driving excess hours and taking insufficient rest.
In May 1995 the company was fined for failing to produce tachograph records and four drivers were fined for breaking the hours rules, she added.
Under examination Boyle agreed that there were instances where drivers who had exceeded the daily driving limit had also fallen foul of the daily rest provisions. She said that when the drivers were interviewed in March one had said that he had driven excess hours on occasions to reach a secure stopping place. Another said that he had had to meet delivery deadlines required by the customer. She agreed she had found no breaches by two other drivers.
Burns said that the vehicles were carrying meat to the Continent and bringing back fruit and vegetables. He had sent warning letters to both drivers and customers.
Five drivers had been dismissed for breaking the hours rules and they no longer worked for one customer who had been unco-operative. In May 1995 charges that he had caused and permitted the offences by the drivers were dropped.
Burns said there was no financial benefit to the drivers in breaking the regulations.. The drivers had mobile phones and received instructions direct from customers and their agents.
Ile added that there were problems because no two countries interpreted the EC Rules the same way.
Betts adjourned the proceedings for a further check on the tachograph records because he wanted to see what the current position was. He directed that the charts for May and June should be produced to the traffic examiner within a week.