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Using ghost drivers comes back to haunt banned firm
Page 19
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Telford-based Plavelly Trucking has had its licence revoked and has been disqualified from holding an 0-licence indefinitely after West Midlands TO David Dixon heard that its drivers had peen convicted of using ghost drivers.
In addition, directors Gary and Tanya Evans have been disqualified from holding or obtaining an 0-licence in any Traffic Area for three years and 18 months respectively.
The company, which held a licence for five vehicles and four trailers, had been called before the TC at a Birmingham disciplinary inquiry but representatives failed to appear.
Traffic examiner Nicholas Wust said tachograph charts for the period November 2000February 2001 showed that false names had been used to cover up drivers hours breaches. In one case a driver appeared to have been driving two different vehicles at different places at the same time. In another case Evans name had been used on a false chart. Wust claimed that drivers had run without charts in their tachographs then wound the clocks back and inserted charts.
Last November three Plavelly Trucking drivers appeared before Telford magistrates and pleaded guilty to various offences. They were ordered to pay tines and costs totalling 21,635.
Gary Evans pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a driver to falsify and was fined £160 with 190 costs. The company pleaded guilty toll offences of aiding and abetting drivers; it was fined £6,050 with £300 costs. Drivers for Evans said thE he had either requested or cor doned any offences that toc place: and that they receive bonuses to get the job done.
Driver Thomas Howell claimed Evans had told him t do the job or they would lose th work and h would be out ( a job. AnothE driver, Wy Jones, sai Evans put a Ii of pressure c the drivers to do this work.
Wust told the TC: "11 is one I the worst cases of tachograr offences I have come across, pa ticularly in the use of ghost drivel to hide drivers' hours offences The TC agreed, and addE that Evans had been utter irresponsible, with his comme cial greed outweighing his dul His approach was complete unacceptable, Dixon said.
The TO considered it WE clear that Evans had encou aged his drivers to break ft law. Dixon suspended the trA drivers' HGV licences for for months.