Coach Drivers' Hours : £68 Fines
Page 40
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
SIX drivers and a Minehead coach company were fined a total of £68, with £18 18s. costs, by Minehead magistrafes last week, on 26 summonses involving drivers' hours. Fourteen summonses against the Western National Omnibus Co., Ltd., for permitting the offences were dismissed.
Each driver was fined £1 for driving a public service vehicle for more than 11 hours in a period of 24, and 11 for not taking 10 hours' rest in a period of 24. Scarlet and Blue Motor Coaches, Ltd., were fined a total of £56 for permitting the offences. The drivers were each ordered to pay £1 is. costs, and the company £12 12s. costs.
Western National, it was stated, had hired the coaches and drivers from Scarlet and Blue.
A seventh driver was concerned, but because of illness he had not been summoned. Each company, however, had been summoned for permitting his offences.
The cases arose out of a travel emergency in London at the height of the holiday season.
The Royal Blue company, controlled by Western National, were in urgent need of relief coaches to take holidaymakers from Victoria Coach Station to places in the West Country, including Minehead, Barnstaple, Ilfracombe and Porlock.
Western National hired seven drivers and coaches from Scarlet and Blue at Minehead on July 16. After the drivers had done a normal tour of duty from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. that day, they left for London in their empty coaches and arrived at 3.30 a.m. on the following day.
After three hours sleep, taken in their vehicles, they reported to Victoria Coach Station, and started to drive back to the West Country with their passengers.
Mr. D. B. Crosse, for Western National, said that it was the first prosecution against the company under the Road Traffic Act.
He submitted that the hired drivers were not under the company's control from the time they left Minehead, but only from the time they reported to Victoria Coach Station. Western National could not possibly be guilty of permitting the offences.
For Scarlet and Blue, Mr. J. Hawkins, managing director, said his coaches were not.hired until the morning of July 16, and they were already booked for afternoon excursions. These were carried out before the drivers left for London.
BRITISH FOR BRUSSELS 'THE following British makes of corn1 rnercial vehicles will be shown at the Brussels Salon from January 15-26: A.E.C., Atkinson, Austin, Bedford, Con-liner, Daimler, Guy, Karrier, Leyland, Morris, Seddon, Standard, Thames and Thorn ycroft.