A good record saves 0-licence
Page 17
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• Owner driver John Popland of Manchester has retained his 0-licence despite being convicted of falsifying tachograph records and operating his vehicle without a road fund licence.
At disciplinary proceedings before North Western Licensing Authority Roy Hutchings. Popland, trading as Northenden Trucking, told the LA he had not taxed his vehicle because he had been waiting for money to come in. However he had not run it for as long as a month without tax and as soon as money came in he had back taxed it to the due date.
The other offences arose because he could not make any money on long distance work if he stuck to the drivers' hours limits. He no longer did that type of work, restricting himself to local work so that he could remain within the hours limits; he had held a haulage licence since the days of carriers licensing and had no previous convictions.
Taking no action Hutchings said that in view of the fact that Popland had been operating on his own for a very considerable length of time and had not been in trouble before, he did not find the offences were such that l'opland was no longer of good repute.
He had also taken into account the fact that Popland had changed his pattern of work to conform with the drivers hours limits.
He realised business was difficult for owner drivers but Popland had to operate within the law, If he did not he would not keep his licence.