Decade-long ban for haulier who made Bell's blood boil
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A Cheshire haulier, described as a 'disgraceful" threat to road safety, has been banned from holding an 0-licence for 10 years after being found guilty of a catalogue of offences.
North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell told Neil Burke, trading as S&N Transport, of Winsford: "I feel the roads will be a safer place by keeping you out of this industry for a long time. I don't want you near a large goods vehicle ever again."
She added: "Mr Burke's answers are like a spider's web. When a hole is picked in that web the whole thIng disappears into nothing. This licence was obtained by false means and handed over to others lock stock and barrel. The effect on road safety makes my blood boil. It is disgraceful."
Burke was called before the TC after his drivers had been caught falsifying tachograph records. An application by Burke, trading as Blue Rock Transport, for a new licence for four vehicles and four trailers was withdrawn, Vehicle examiner David Collings said vehicles were being operated from an unauthorised operating centre and tachograph records showed that five more vehicles had been operated than the licence allowed.
Traffic examiner Geoffrey Whitley described the offences as some of the worst he had encountered: the drivers had not only been falsifying tachograph charts, they had also been seriously in breach of the hours limits. "The keeping of records and compliance with drivers' hours was nothing but a shambles," he added.
Burke said he had not had day-to-day control of the business as he had been working for someone else and the business had been run for him by a David Wardle. He had been unaware of any drivers' hours irregularities or of the use of untaxed vehicles.
Revoking the HGV driving licences of drivers David Hammill and Roy Faulkner for 12 months, the IC said she had taken account of the burden that was placed on the drivers and it was quite clear that they were forced to compromise road safety