Drivers made too much use of emergency rules
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I A deputy LA has criticised Featherstone, Wakefield-based Brian Yeardley Continental for allowing drivers to over-use Article 12 of the EC regulations which allows drivers to break drivers hours rules in emergencies.
North eastern Deputy LA Brian Homer issued a severe warning to the international haulier after its drivers broke Article 12 and other drivers hours regs.
Thirty five of the company's drivers have had their vocation al driving licences suspended for between one and five days after a number of drivers hours offences were detected during a Department of Transport investigation into the company.
Evidence was given during the three-day hearing that drivers used Article 12 in order to get to a safe resting place because of the fear of being hijacked in northern Italy while delivering valuable loads -a Yeardley truck carrying shoes has been hijacked in the area and a driver was coshed.