FINES totalling S:5,350 were imposed on Leeds-based haulier K. Smart
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Ltd last week after it failed to appear to answer 78 charges of permitting drivers to commit drivers' hours and tachograph offences and operating vehicles without operator and excise licences.
Selby magistrates also ordered the company to pay 8:1,613.32 back duty.
The company was convicted of 45 offences of permitting drivers to exceed the hours limits and take insufficient rest, five of permitting them to fail to keep records, one of permitting a driver to fail to retain the previous two days' charts, four of issuing the wrong tachograph charts, three offences of fading to mark the unladen weight on vehicles, six of using a vehicle without an operator's licence, three offences of failing to display 0
licence discs, three of using vehicles with a defective tachograph and eight of using vehicles without an excise licence.
Prosecuting for North Yorkshire Police, Inspector Keith Watts said the company had carried coal during the miners' strike and laN.1 carried material to the York bypass.
It completely disregarded the rules relating to the haulage industry Specimen offences The offences before the court were committed between May 18 and September 2 and were specimens of over 250 offences discovered when lorries were stopped on the A64 trunk road.
Excise duty had been avoided and there was a large claim for back duty.
Police officers said that drivers told them they had been told to work the hours to get paid. They had either to work the hours they were told or they were on the dole.
Instances were given of drivers working seven consecutive days, of working for up to 81 hours, three minutes in a week and of taking a break of only 11 minutes in a working day.
Earlier this month the company was fined 112,030 at Leeds for drivers' hours offences and unauthorised use. (CM January 25).
Subsequently its application to add 16 vehicles to its three vehicle licence was withdrawn following strong Road Haulage Association opposition, in the wake of allegations that it has debts approaching AA million, North Eastern Deputy Licensing Authority George Smedley directed at that stage that its interim licence for nine additional vehicles should end. (CM, February 1)