;barter drivers 'often tired' court told
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DRMER Charter Roadways rivers alleged that they were [-ten very tired and short of cep when driving for the )mpany when the trial of tree haulage company direcirs and two traffic clerks muinued at Preston Crown ourt (CM, January 23).
William Graham of Foram, ad Gordon Greenwood of litheroe, both directors of lliarter Roadways; Gordon 1cLcod of Blackpool, former :neral manager of the cornany and a director or Sablelow Ltd; and miffic clerks hillip Lonsdale of (Thorley ad David Lindley of Hisham deny conspiring to lake false entries in tachoraph charts.
Clive Smith of Penworiam, said he had worked for ,harrer for around three ionths. He had falsified aarts as he would never have oft home if he had not.
Smith said he had been Remployed previously and did not want to be again. Smith said he had been doing about 70 hours a week.
and added he had never been instructed by the management of the company to exceed the hours limits. Neither had he been encouraged to falsify charts. He admitted he had been sacked for falsifying a chart and allegedly drinking on duty.
Robert Rogers, of Leyland, admitted he had pleaded guilty to two specimen counts of falsifying charts. 1 le said he had been unemplovcd for 18 months before joining Charter in August, 1983.
It had been impossible to do the job without falsifying charts; he was given jobs that could not possibly be done within the legal honN.
On one occasion, when he had told Lindley he could not
reach Sheerness within his hours, Lindley had told hint to put another chart in halfway there.
McLeod had told him that if he did not do what they wanted he would be back on the dole. He feared he would lose his job if he consistently moaned about the hours.
When he complained about wages cheques bouncing Greenwood had told him that he was presenting them at the wrong time. He was sacked in January, 1984, for failing to phone in, but he believed the real reason was that he had refused to do a run when his driving hours were up.
Senior traffic examiner Gerald Best denied he had said during interviews with the defendants that Charter Roadways was being paid an extra 10 per cent by 13+1 Line for "running bent".
He said that he understood that Charter Roadways was paid 10 per cent extra for providing a good service with first class vehicles and 24hour cover.
Ilw trial is continuing.