Law checks cost Nightfreight f1,000
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PARCELS CARRIER Nightfreight (GB) has been ordered to pay £1,000 in fines and costs after being found guilty of permitting a driver to drive a vehicle without the correct licence. A company witness admitted that it did not check licences to ensure drivers were entitled to drive HGVs. The Willenhall-based company denied the offence, but was convicted by the Barking Magistrates
Anthony Ostrin, prosecuting for the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, said that a two-axled box van had been the subject of a roadside check.The driver produced his driving licence, which revealed that he was entitled to drive vehicles only in categories B, BE and B1 . The vehicle he was driving came into category Cl. The manager of the depot concerned told the court that he had a system for checking endorsements on licences, but he did not check whether drivers had the appropriate classification enabling them to drive the larger
size vehicles. For Nightfreight, Jonathan Lawton said the systems were adequate and therefore the company had not permitted this offence. He said Nightfreight was a well established large operator and that the directors, who
were the "brains" of the company, did not permit this driver to drive without the appropriate authority. Magistrates fined the company £250 and ordered it
to pay £750 prosecution costs.