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Knowles drivers rapped by TC

1st January 2004
Page 7
Page 7, 1st January 2004 — Knowles drivers rapped by TC
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EASTERN TRAFFIC Commissioner Geoffrey Simms has dealt with 31 Knowles Transport drivers who committed a catalogue of offences.

Driver John Goodjohn has had his HGV driving licence revoked with an indefinite disqualification and 30 of his colleagues have been suspended for up to 10 weeks. A decision has yet to be made on three other drivers.

The Cambridgeshire-based firm appeared before Simms to answer charges of excessive speeding. hours offences, insufficient rest and overloading (CM 18 December).

The TC's decision on Knowles Transport's transport manager John Barlow. and boss Tony Knowles will be given in the New Year.

One of the suspended drivers says the suspension will cost them £2500 apiece in lost earnings.

However, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has reacted angrily to allegations by Barlow and Knowles that its tachograph analysis service failed to highlight the offences_ The RI-IA's Liam Boyle says: "They wanted a basic analysis service at the price they wanted to pay and we gave them that analysis."

Boyle says he even wrote to Knowles expressing his concerns about drivers flouting the law; -You don't have to do anything other than read a sheet of paper. If there's an infringement, it says so. Its all on one piece of paper — it's not something that's hidden."

An RHA spokeswoman says it has been providing the service for 15 years and analysed over 10 million tacho charts: "Proof, if proof were needed. as to the accuracy and efficiency of the service."

Tony Knowles was unavailable for comment as CM went to press but Barlow says the firm stands by its allegations against the RH A's analysis service.


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