Taal) trouble for Exel
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Contract distribution giant Exel Logistics and four of its drivers have been fined a total of 22,746.80, including costs, for drivers' hours offences.
James Demetriades of Swindon admitted seven offences of exceeding 41/2-hours driving without a 45 minutes break and one of taking insufficient daily rest. He was fined E.320.
Andrew Hickson of Bristol was fined 2420 after pleading guilty to three charges of exceeding the daily driving limit, four of taking insufficient daily rest and two of driving for more than 41/2-hours without proper breaks.
Stephen Lewis of Swindon admitted four 41/2-hours driving offences and was fined £160.
Paul Howitt of Chepstow was convicted in his absence of two offences of exceeding the daily driving limit, two of taking insufficient daily rest and five 41/2-hours driving offences. He was fined 2400.
Each driver was also ordered to pay £10 towards prosecution costs.
Exel Logistics admitted permitting drivers to exceed 4½hours driving without the required break on 11 occasions and one offence of permitting a driver to take insufficient daily rest. The company was fined
2960 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of 2446.80.
Prosecuting for the Western traffic area, Edward Lyons said that the offences had come to light when a traffic examiner checked tachograph charts from the company's Thornbury depot for 39 drivers, covering a seven-week period. The company had also produced computer printouts from an outside tachograph agency showing similar offences committed by the same drivers going back to January 1990.
Avon North magistrates heard that the drivers had been on a contract distributing vacuum cleaners. It was multidrop work and that was how the majority of the 41/2-hours driving offences had arisen.
Exel Legistics had a good record, and it had taken steps to have the charts analysed and any infringements were pointed out to the drivers.