13th Canine driver is fined
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The last of 13 drivers employed by Bhdgend-based Canine Transport has now appeared before Wolverhampton magistrates to answer drivers hours charges. He was fined £200 with £65 costs.
Kevin Coombes, of Stourport-on-Severn, pleaded guilty to two offences of driving for 4.5 hours without the required break.
The other 12 drivers had previously pleaded guilty to a variety of charges, including 4.5-hour driving offences; exceeding the daily driving limit; taking insufficient daily and weekly rest; and failing to operate mode switches correctly. Their fines and costs totalled £4,630.
Prosecuting for the Vehicle Inspectorate, Beverley Bell said Carline Transport had been double-shifting vehicles carrying steel between Wales and the Midlands. Coombes took his instructions from transport manager Geoffrey Layton. On 25 October he had driven for 5hr 24min without any breaks being recorded; on 27 November he had driven for 4hr 43min with only a 36min break.
When interviewed, Coombes had said drivers were paid a flat rate of £56 for moving five trailers. If they managed a sixth they were paid a bonus.
Defending, Guy James said that the October offence had arisen after Coombes had phoned his wife from Shotton and heard that his daughter had had an accident. de was anxious to get home but was held up in traffic. This led him to continue instead of taking the required break.
The November offence showed how the European Court's interpretation of the hours rules worked harshly— and arguably unfairly, James added. Throughout the day
Coombes had taken a large number of legal breaks of 15min or more, making a total of some 80min in 4hr 10min. He then drove for 3hr 38min with 88min in legal breaks.
James suggested the problem arose because of the European Court decision that once a driver had taken 45min of break he had to start a new driving period, irrespective of how long he had been driving. Coombes had only driven for 1hr 57min before starting a new driving period. This was harsh as Coombes had taken about twice the legally required rest for the driving he had done that day.
The company and Layton both deny permitting the drivers' offences; the court will consider those allegations later this month.