AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Nan subbie awaits IC's decision on tack' offences

21st February 2002
Page 12
Page 12, 21st February 2002 — Nan subbie awaits IC's decision on tack' offences
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• by Mike JeweN Eddie Stobart subcontractor Edmund Brewer has won a temporary stay of execution after its disciplinary inquiry was halted until late April pending further investigations.

Penrith-based Brewer had been called before North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell at a Carlisle disciplinary inquiry following the convictions of his drivers for offences of falsifying tachograph records.

Bell said that the police had conducted a thorough investigation leading to the conviction of the drivers. However, she was not in a position to assess the role that Brewer played in the drivers activities or the current position of the business. With this in mind she required a report on the history of the investigations carried out by the police, the Vehicle Inspectorate and the Traffic Area Office.

She also instructed the VI to carry out an investigation into the maintenance of Brewers' vehicles, and into whether he was complying with the drivers' hours and tachograph legislation. Bell asked for the VI or Cumbria police to investigate the activities of Ian Wanup, who was employed by Brewer at the time.

Suspending the HGV driving licences of 16 of the drivers involved for periods varying between four and six weeks, Bell said that she had reduced the periods of suspension from those that she would otherwise have imposed as the matter had been hanging over the drivers for a considerable time.

The tachograph rules are there to protect drivers from fatigue and unscrupulous employers as well as to protect the public," she pointed out.

Bell commented that the drivers concerned had deliberately falsified their tachograph records to hide the fact that they were taking insufficient daily rest.

"The haulage industry is something people should be proud of," Bell concluded. "Its image is not what it should be and the conduct of these drivers has done nothing to improve that."

No criticism has been made of Eddie Stobart by either the police or the Traffic Commissioner.


comments powered by Disqus