Driver broke law daily
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/Drivers' hours and tachograph offences cost Victor Blackwell, trading as Trans Parcel Express, and six of his drivers £6,665 in fines and costs when they appeared at Middleton magistrates in North Manchester.
The drivers admitted a series of offences, including driving for more than 41 hours without taking the required break and failing to operate the mode switch on their tachographs.
Blackwell admitted permitting two of the drivers to exceed 41 hours driving without the required break; seven of failing to ensure drivers returned tachograph charts within 21 days; and four of using vehicles without the tachograph in operation.
Michael Church-Taylor, prosecuting, said that when tachograph charts were obtained from the firm's premises by police officers, it was found that charts were missing for a number of vehicles. The distances unaccounted for varied between 236 and 1,035km.
A total of 71 charts were inspected regarding driver Tony Ward and 111 offences were found — some charts revealed more than one offence. Ward had only driven eight times in four months without committing an offence.
Out of the 38 charts inspected on behalf of driver John Bonham, 54 offences were found. Bonham had committed offences every day over a two-month period.
Charts were inspected on a random basis during that period but the administration side of the business was stretched and drivers were not being constantly reminded of their obligations. Tachograph charts were now sent Out for analysis and the transport manager was now back at work, ensuring that the system was complied with.
The offences of using a vehicle without a tachograph in use arose due to a misunderstanding. The resident mechanic used the yard vehicle for local errands occasionally, but he was not aware the vehicle needed a tachograph record for those journeys.