Disciplinary system comes under fire
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• A director of a company which had its Operator's Licence revoked twice is calling for a review of the whole disciplinary system after he won a second appeal.
Dennis Woods, co-director of Middlesex-based petrol distributor British Benzol, spoke out after the Transport Tribunal quashed a decision to revoke the licence by South-East Deputy Traffic Commissioner Richard Prior.
Instead the tribunal imposed a two week suspension. Woods says: "I think the whole system needs an overhaul."
Jeremy Fear, representing Benzol, said the public inquiry did not consider whether speed ing offences were sustained or represented only brief bursts over the limit. Many of the tachograph offences were not drivers' hours breaches but were caused because the itch° had not been properly adjusted, he added.
Fear claimed that the inquiry had failed to take account of the company's 20-year clean record, or of a later extensive check that found few problems. 'This company has been under the microscope in a very big way." he said.
This was Benzol's second time before the Transport Tribunal; in February it won an appeal to have the case reheard. 0 The two week suspension will run from 2-15 September.