'Worst ever' offences
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is The managing director of a failed haulage company was disqualified from holding an Operator's Licence for 10 years after tachograph charts were found shredded during an investigation.
The 0-licence of Thomas IVIalcolm's company, Cowdenbeath-based Taphaul, was also revoked and the other directors were disqualified for varying periods.
Announcing his decision, Scottish Traffic Commissioner Michael Betts commented that the offences were the worst he had encountered: For 17 drivers to record 113 very serious false tachograph record offences tells me that there was a culture of deception within the company...Thomas Malcolm was responsible for the culture of deception in the company."
He also noted that Malcolm was now working for Curries of Dumfries in its transport office at Cowdenbeath, and it appeared that Curries might have taken on some of the work lost by Taphaul.
The TC also revoked Malcolm's PSV 0licence and disqualified him from holding such a licence for three years.
The other disqualified directors were George Key (five years), Janice Malcolm (three years) and Helen Key (two years).
Refusing the applications for 0-licences by four former Taphaul drivers, the TC said he had some sympathy for them and would be prepared to consider new applications in four months' time.
A spokesman for Curries confirms that Malcolm is employed on a temporary basis as a traffic clerk.