Unit fines differ by £24
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• Two drivers were given different unit fines for tachograph chart offences when they appeared before Rochdale magistrates.
Leslie Holsworth of Oldham admitted one offence of falsification and one of exceeding the daily driving limit. He was fined £240 (six units of L=10) with £50 costs.
Paul Needham, also of Oldham, admitted five offences of falsification. He was fined £192 (12 units of -.16) with £50 costs.
Prosecuting for the DOT, Nick Eccles said both men worked for JA Leach Transport of Littleborough. The offences came to light through a check after one of its vehicles had been stopped.
Defending, John Backhouse said Holsworth had exceeded the daily driving limit by 30 minutes through a miscalculation. The false chart had a missing distance of 13km: Holsworth had completed his day's work and he went off in his tractor unit to find something to eat. He had taken his chart out but he recorded the correct odometer readings.
In Needham's case, he had stupidly got into the habit of taking the chart out of the tachograph while looking for somewhere to park. In each case the charts showed the correct odometer readings.
The magistrates commented that the current system of unit fines was being criticised.