• Carline shopped by one of its managers
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• by Midmel Jewell The Wolverhampton depot of Carline Transport has been ordered to pay more than 122,000 in fines and costs after admitting allowing drivers to break the hours laws. The prosecution was prompted by the company's transport supervisor, who walked into the Traffic Area Office to spill the beans.
When Carline appeared at Wolverhampton magistrates court it pleaded guilty to 24 offences of permitting drivers to take insufficient breaks and rest, and 26 offences of failing to produce tachograph records.
Canine's Wolverhampton transport manager, Geoffrey Leighton, admitted 18 offences of permitting drivers to drive for more than 4.5 hours without the required 45minute break, and one offence of permitting a driver to exceed the daily driving limit. He was fined £750.
Prosecuting for the Vehicle Inspectorate, Beverley Bell said that in December 1997 Upinder Sumer, who had been employed by Carline as a transport supervisor, went to the traffic examiner's office to make a formal complaint about the company.
Sumer claimed he had been asked to resign after expressing concern that he was unable to check the tachograph records or discipline the drivers. Sumer produced documents, including tachograph charts, night movement sheets, traffic sheets and trailer booking forms. Further documents were later produced by the company Analysis of these documents showed that a large number of offences had been committed by the company's drivers, and tachograph charts were missing for a total of 4,767km.
For the company, Guy James claimed it had been Sumart ambition to take over Leighton's job. James said Sumac had been asked to resign when he was unable to produce any evidence to the company to back up allegations he had made against Leighton. He added that since its formation in 1997, when Cardiff Transport took over Blue Line, the company had been aiming for the highest standards of good practice but that took time to achieve.
James accepted that errors had been made in 1997 but denied there had been a cavalier disregard of the rules. The company and Leighton had failed to be tough enough, but that had been rectified.
The company was fined £14,800 with £7,500 costs.