1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198 
'Rats in glovebox' excuse fails to protect operator's repute
Page 37
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
AN OPERATOR claimed that he had displayed a wrong 0-licence disc on his dashboard rather than his windscreen because of vermin in his glovebox, adding that he had not intended to deceive the authorities.
Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms ignored this "feeble excuse" and revoked the one-truck licence held by Outwell-based Andrew Harris, trading as Royal Marquees.
The TC decided that Harris had illegally used a second vehicle after authority had been refused and had used an unauthorised operating centre. He also disqualified Harris from holding or obtaining an 0-licence for 12 months.
Harris had been operating two vehicles, although a variation application had been refused on financial grounds. Both trucks had missed their 10-weekly safety inspections—only two inspection records were produced, dated 18 months apart and coinciding with preparations for their annual tests. Harris had also moved his operating centre without authority. He was unable to produce any tachograph records. Two 01icence discs belonging to a previously specified vehicle had been displayed on top of the dashboard of the second vehicle. Harris said the unauthorised second vehicle had now been sold.
He had moved to a new operating centre after his original base had been broken into. He said safety inspections had lapsed due to domestic difficulties and work pressures.
Asked why he had been unable to produce tachograph records. Harris said he thought it was a combination of failing to complete records and losing them. They had probably been incinerated.
The TC said the use of the second vehicle was aggravated by displaying the licence disc from an authorised vehicle. The excuse that vermin had entered the glove compartment carried no conviction; he believed the disc had been displayed to deceive.