Leisuremaster firm's 0-lic duration cut
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DRIVERS HOURS and tachograph offences have led the Eastern Traffic Commissioners to cut the duration of the 30-vehicle psv operator's licence held by Housden Caldwell Coaches of Loughborough, a member of the Leisuremaster Group.
Last July, the company admitted over 300 offences bef o r e Loughborough magistrates and was fined £6,222 with £420 costs.
Managing director Melvin Housden said the company had opted to use tachographs as soon as they became avail able. There had been no complaint until a minor accident had led to the police investigation.
Many of the hours offences were a question of minutes over the permitted limits.
Most of the tachograph offences consisted of drivers not putting their first names on the centre field of charts. At the time, he had believed that initials rather than the driver's full name was all that was necessary.
Commissioners' chairman Kenneth Peter said he could not understand why it was
news to the industry that a, driver's first name was re-. quired on the chart.
A police report on the company indicated that there were cases where seals were missing from tachograph heads and gearboxes, and offences relating to bent speed stylii. There were 129 instances of tachographs not working properly.
Prematurely terniinating the licence to expire in May 1986, Mr Peter said that neither the company nor Mr Housden had lost their good repute.