0-licence is curtailed for 11 missing tacho charts
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A tip off from a member of the public led to a Rotherhambased company having its South Wales 0-licence curtailed by two vehicles for two weeks for failing to produce tachograph charts.
A public inquiry in Cardiff heard how traffic examiners had investigated Gloystarne and Co after receiving information that drivers' hours offences were eegedly being committed.
The probe, which examined 1,150 charts, found that 27 were missing and unaccounted for. Only four of the charts examined had driving hours or rest infringements, which were not considered significant enough to warrant prosecution.
The company, which operates 20 vehicles and 60 trailers from its depot at Liandow, Vale of Glamorgan, had admitted four offences of failing to produce tachograph charts when it appeared before Bridgend magistrates in January. The company asked for 23 offences to be taken into consideration.
Anthony Mansfield, Gloystarne's South West area manager, told the hearing that he was amazed to have discovered the charts were missing. He believed that some of the missing mileages were down to drivers not using tachograph charts when using normal road vehicles for shunting duties or movements between the firm's two sites.
One driver had left the company without handing in his charts, and attempts to recover them had been unsuccessful. "In hindsight, not checking mileages off caused us the problem," Mansfield added.
Mansfield stressed that the tachograph rules were taken extremely seriously. The company used to make random checks on a sample of charts but was now checking every chart.
As part of a package of measures to tighten up the system, the Llandow depot now had designated shunt drivers and vehicles which did not go out on the road; the names of drivers who failed to hand in their charts were posted on a notice board in the depot; and drivers were now tested on tachograph procedure and could ask for extra training if needed.
Ordering the curtailment, Welsh IC David Dixon said: "I do not believe it is sufficient to issue a warning but it is not a case where I need take drastic action."