1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202 
Finn ordered to shut down for a day to train its drivers
Page 37
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A COMPANY guilty of numerous drivers' hours offences has been ordered to shut for a day so its drivers can receive refresher training.
North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell suspended the licence of Standish -basedThomas Witter UK on the first Saturday in July to ensure the training takes place.
The company had been called before the TC because of concerns over vehicle maintenance and breaches of the drivers' hours legislation.TheTC was also considering an application to increase the licence from four to six vehicles.
At the outset of the hearing the TC revoked the licence held by an associated firm,ThomasWitter,after being told the company had gone into receivership.
For the company, Michael Cunningham said Witters had been in the carpet business in Wigan for many generations.The present company had emerged from the old company and the new management had turned the business round.
There had been a steady increase in business and a lot of investment. The growth period had coincided with the non-compliance, but the company had now got its house in order.Transport consultant Grahame Robinson had instituted a strict training programme and an audit function for at least 12 months. Vehicle examiner Paul Harrison said records produced at the hearing showed there had been an improvement. Inspections were carried out every six weeks and the records were properly completed.
After traffic examiner Aidan McCabe had detailed 4.5 hour driving, daily driving, daily rest and weekly rest offences committed by six drivers, the TC said she was concerned about the continued widespread failure to comply with the drivers hours rules, particularly in relation to the 4.5 hour driving rule.
Cunningham said driver training had recently been undertaken and the disciplinary procedure was being revised. Further training would take place in a year. Some of the breaches were only a matter of minutes.
The TC granted the additional vehicles with a warning and ordered refresher training by July.