Mr. Hanlon Checks on Driver Arrangements
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" I DO realize that employers of long ' distance drivers are to some extent in the hands of their drivers; but basically they themselves are a fine body of men and, in the main, they do behave ", Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, the Northern Licensing Authority, said last week at Appleby when he granted an application by S. W. G. Ostle, of Kirkby Stephen, to vary an A licence by the addition of a vehicle and two trailers.
In January, Mr. Hanlon had adjourned the unopposed application because, among other things, he wanted to hear evidence of the arrangements the applicant had made about driver accommodation.
During last week's hearing Mr. Hanlon explained that when the applicant had appeared in front of him in January he had been interviewed by a traffic examiner and it appeared that some of his drivers had clearly been committing offences. "Mr. Ostle was interviewed and did not know what his drivers were doing, where they went and where they stayed." Mr. Hanlon said the whole matter was so unsatisfactory that he had felt disposed to ask for information about what arrangements had been made to ensure that drivers had proper breaks in London and Wales runs. It appeared that Mr. Ostle did not know.
Giving evidence, Mr. Ostle said that he had taken steps to ensure that drivers carried out their work in a proper manner. Every driver had been instructed to phone in every night and their overnight accommodation was booked before they left, where this was possible.
Mr. Hanlon: "You did not know whether they slept in the cabs or not?"
Mr. Ostle: "It is very hard to check. They can claim £1 for subsistence, hut you cannot say."
Mr. Ostle stated that he had stopped double-shift working on the vehicles so that every driver had his own vehicle.
Giving his decision, Mr. Hanlon said that he was quite satisfied with the steps that had been taken.