Row over tachograph check
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rie by Pete Swinger
A major haulier is considering spending £500,000 on now Volvos instead of Scanias after claiming in court that it was "let down" over a maintenance contract.
The spending switch proposal comes after Richardson of St Helens, Merseyside, was fined £200 with 185 casts by West Bromwich magistrates after admitting using a vehicle without a two-year tachograph inspection.
Karen Salisbury, prosecuting for the Vehicle Inspector-ate, said one of the firm's 38-tonne Scanias was checked off the M6 at Perry Barn Birmingham, last October. it was found that the inspection of the tachograph equipment was four months overdue. Lisa Fern, Richardson's operations manager, told the court that the firm had a maintenance contract with Scania for its fleet, and that Scania should have carried out the tachograph inspection as part of the deal.
"We are not happy with the Scania deal as a result of the tachograph situation," she said. The firm had 19 Scania tractors based at five differwit UK locations.
"We are planning to spend £500,1100 on buying five new lorries within the next few weeks but following the tachograph situation we are now considering buying Volvo instead of Scania," Fern toid the court. "We feel we have been let down and a meeting is being arranged to discuss the purchases."