Unauthorised centre leads to three-year 0-licence ban
Page 18
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A Suffolk haulier's licence has been revoked following the use of unau thorised operating centres and excessive speeding by one of its drivers. And Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms banned Mendlesham, Stowmarket-based Gary Griffiths from holding an 0-licence for three years.
Traffic examiner lain Gooden told a Cambridge disciplinary inquiry that he had checked six weeks' tachograph records for the two specified vehicles. He immediately noticed the speed limiter on the vehicle driven by a Peter Baker appeared not to be working. When he checked the vehicle he found the tachograph and speed limiter were functioning normally. The charts showed speeds in excess of 120km/h for long periods. He was unable to inspect the vehicle again as it was stolen. Baker's records also showed that on many occa sions the finishing point was Ipswich and not the authorised operating centre at Felixstowe. The centre field was not always fully completed and there was about a week's tachograph charts missing, leaving some 2,500km unaccounted for.
There were 33 occasions when the vehicle driven by Griffiths had been parked at Mendlesham rather than Felixstowe, said Gooden.
Baker said he had worked for Griffiths for more than a year and PAYE and National Insurance deductions had not been paid on his behalf. He alleged that wages due for oneand-a-half months had not been paid. He also alleged that following the theft of his vehicle, Griffiths had produced blank tachograph charts and asked him to fill them in. The speed limiter on his vehicle was constantly blowing fuses, said Baker. He denied that he had ever interfered with the limiter.
Admitting that no PAYE or National Insurance had been paid, Griffiths maintained that Baker had been employed on a casual basis. He denied wages were unpaid but agreed there was a dispute over expenses. He also denied asking Baker to fill in blank tachograph charts. He agreed he had lost the use of the Felixstowe operating centre and he knew it was an offence to use an unauthorised centre.
Making the revocation and disqualification orders, Simms said that the operation had been thoroughly disorganised. lie suspended Baker's LGV driving entitlement for seven days.