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Indefinite ban for parcel firm with 'appalling history'

24th November 2005
Page 37
Page 37, 24th November 2005 — Indefinite ban for parcel firm with 'appalling history'
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Keywords : Tachograph, Pickering

A parcels firm which had its authorisation cut at a previous hearing is off the road for good.

A PARCELS FIRM whose transport manager colluded in producing false tach.o charts has been taken off the road because of its"appalling, history" of lawbreaking.

The manager admitted he was incapable of running goods vehicles. As a result the company and its two directors have been disqualified from holding or obtaining an 0-licence indefinitely.

Beverley-based Frosty The Courier, which held a three-vehicle licence, had been called before North-Eastern Traffic Commissioner Tom Macartney at a Leeds disciplinary inquiry.

Vehicle examiner David Littlewood reported that during an investigation last June he examined two vehicles as they came off the road in the evening, issuing one immediate and one delayed prohibition.

The company was not abiding by a series of maintenance undertakings given at a previous public inquiry in February 2003,when its licence was suspended and its authorisation cut from seven to three vehicles. Traffic examiner Charles Dickinson told the TC. the company had undertaken to have a 100% analysis of its charts, including confirmation that the distance traces corresponded. A check of 151 charts for February-April 2004 revealed 1,869km unaccounted for.

Offences by five drivers were detected, including the falsification of three charts by driver Peter Nilsson. The false charts bore the names of director Ken Pickering and transport manager Darryl Pickering. Nilsson had claimed he had been told to use blank charts by Darryl Pickering. When questioned, Pickering had identified his own writing on the false charts.

Prior to the last public inquiry, another driver had alleged that Darryl Pickering had suggested he use blank charts, something that Darryl Pickering had denied.

Darryl Pickering said he had tried to keep to the undertakings given at the previous public inquiry, but not as well as he should have done. He denied the allegations made by Nilsson, whom he described as a disgruntled ex-driver. He wasn't prepared to answer any questions about alleged tachograph offences in case criminal proceedings were taken against him, despite Dickinson's assurance there was no plan to prosecute him.

Revoking the licence and holding that Darryl Pickering had lost his repute, the TC said the company had a history of problems with tachograph legislation and a long list of convictions had been recorded against it.

He considered that Darryl Pickering had been aware of the false records involving Nilsson and might even have been complicit in them.

The company had failed to carry out its undertakings — he was particularly concerned that advice from an independent engineer had been ignored.

Making the disqualification orders against the company and directors Ken and Herbert Pickering. the TC said they were necessary because of the firm's "appalling history", with poor supervision by all concerned, who were all close family members. •


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