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Knowles is blaming RHA for legal crisis
Page 6
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Knowles Transport has blamed the RHAs tacho-check service for its legal problems. Chris Tindall reports.
IN A DESPERATE attempt to save its business, Knowles Transport accused the Road Haulage Association (RHA) of failing to carry out its job properly after it was called before a Public Inquiry.
The Cambridgeshire-based company appeared before Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms following an investigation into the firm and its drivers. A catalogue of offences was revealed. including exceeding speed limits, drivers' hours offences and insufficient rest periods.
The revelations come only a month after the former Motor Transport haulier of the year settled a pay dispute with three of its drivers — it was ordered to pay out £32,000 for unlawful deduction of earnings (CM 13 November). Simms will now consider the repute of MD Tony Knowles and transport manager John Barlow.
The inquiry heard how traffic examiner Caroline Hicks began an investigation in September 2002 after receiving an anonymous tip-off about six of the firm's drivers breaking hours' rules.
Analysis of the charts revealed no less that 25,666km were unaccounted for. There were 74 offences of not taking required breaks, 13 offences of insufficient rest periods and a failure to record details by 15 drivers. Speed limits were regularly broken and trailers were overloaded.
However.
Barlow said the blame lied with the RHA,which "sold a deal" to Knowles Trans port. The trade association was contracted to analyse charts on its behalf and he believed mileage, speed, and drivers hours were all checked.
"We thought there would be a total analysis of cards, not just a computer print-out,Barlow said. "The package they sold us was not what they told us."
He added that a full-time tachograph analyst was now employed to carry out the job.
Barlow refuted Hicks' claim that the company had tried to stall the investigation by being uncooperative but admitted that drivers were not rebuked for driving too fast.
Simms told Knowles that the traffic examiner's report was not complimentary. He said transgressions were ignored despite the RHA writing to Knowles in 2001 highlighting its concerns.
"For a company of your stature and the length of time you have been in the business it should have been you that discovered these problems," he said.
Simms will give his decision in the New Year.