News

Drivers hours and tachograph offences have led to the licence held by Dazzlehurst Civil Engineering being suspended for 20 days after the company voluntarily agreed to reduce its vehicle authorisation to the two in possession. The company had been called before Western Traffic Commissioner Sarah Bell. Traffic examiner Veronica Collins said the offences were revealed by the inspection of 12 months' tachograph charts.

Driver Ryan Gribbon pleaded guilty to 14 sample charges of exceeding 4½  hours' driving without the required breaks he was fined £500 with £115 costs. The company was fined £1,000 with £148 costs for permitting the offences. Driver Vince Garton pleaded guilty to six offences of falsifying tachograph charts and was given a 12-month conditional discharge because of his financial circumstances. He had also committed 32 4½-hour driving offences which were not prosecuted as they had expired.

If MD Chris Gribbon had driven on the days the charts suggested he did not hold the required vocational entitlement. Chris Gribbon said he usually checked the charts but he had been unwell for a year and standards had slipped. All the charts in his name were from times he had driven a vehicle. He had been unaware that he needed to apply for reinstatement of his vocational entitlement following a driving ban for drink-driving.

The problems arose when the company was awarded a contract which involved night work. It coincided with his illness so Garton was running  things day to day. He had been unaware that the drivers were failing to take their 45-minute breaks. Transport consultant Stephen Heaps said most of the problems were down to ignorance. He had provided comprehensive driver training and was now checking all the charts and downloads.

EXTENSIVE STEPS

The TC considered that the company's repute was hanging by a thread but she took account of the extensive steps taken to ensure compliance since the offences came to light.