Haulier failed to speci extra operating centre
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• The use of an unauthorised operating centre has cost a North Wales haul ier £405 in fines and costs. John Davidson, of Holywell, Flintshire, pleaded guilty to the offence at Mold magistrates.
Prosecuting for the Vehicle Inspectorate. John Heaton said the offence came to light following a silent check, where vehicles belonging to McCarthy Transport were seen using that firm's operating centre at Llay.
A tractor driven by Davidson was seen leaving with a McCarthy trailer and it was established that Davidson was working for McCarthy as a subcontractor, Davidson's tachograph records all started or finished at Llay.
When interviewed, Davidson admitted that he had been operating from Llay since October 1995 and not from his declared operating centre at Holy well. Heaton pointed out that the offence before the court was a specimen of many more that could have been prosecuted.
Defending, Kate Heap said it was not a case of an irresponsible haulier with no licence: Davidson had not appreciated that he needed to specify an additional operating centre. After losing a major contract he had obtained work in the Llay area and he decided to find a site in that area for those occasions when he did not have sufficient hours to get back to Holywell.
There was no criticism of the site as an operating centre. It was a large site operated by six hauliers with its own workshop facilities and Davidson had since been granted authority for its use, said Heap. There had been no environmental harm in the use of the site by Davidson.
The magistrates fined Davidson .050 with £55 costs.