Costly phantoms
Page 16
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• The use of "ghost drivers" cost Coventry-based Draycote Continental Transport, managing director Michael Kent and three drivers a total of ,2,8,250 when they appeared before Coventry magistrates. The company was fined a further £300 for failing to produce records, failing to issue the correct charts and for the incorrect use of a tachograph. A fourth driver was fined £75 for failing to keep a tachograph record.
The company admitted 11 offences of permitting drivers to falsify charts and Kent admitted 11 offences of aiding and abetting drivers to do so. John Pratt admitted three offences of falsification as did Kenneth Dunkely while Clifford Bonham admitted five such offences.
Barbara Stubbs prosecuting said charts had been falsified on many occasions to allow drivers to reach home after coming to the end of their 121/2 hour spread over. There were many ways of falsifying charts. A common one was running with the tachograph head open. There was also what was known as the "ghost driver" which was the use of a chart with a different name inserted.
The prosecution said that Kent knew what was going on and that the offences had been permitted, condoned and aided and abetted by management.
David Tandy defending said the company had been formed in 1982 following the liquidation of Coventry Continental Transport and currently operated eight vehicles. The drivers conceded that false names had been used on charts.
Kent accepted full responsibility for what had occurred. Since the prosecutions, a considerable amount of money had been spent to ensure that such offences were not repeated. Drivers had a small machine issued to them which gave audible warning when the hours' limits were reached. In addition, telex had been installed in each vehicle and consideration was being given to the installation of personal telephones. A computer system had been installed at a cost of £18,500 which can carry out tachograph analysis.
Imposing a 2250 fine for each offence involving the falsification of charts, the Chairman of the magistrates said they were satisfied that the company management and drivers had colluded together to commit serious offences against the transport regulations.