Driver blamed his bosses for tacho fraud offences
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A driver who claimed to have falsified tachograph records because of pressure from his employer has been fined £350 by the Leyland magistrates. Paul Aldren claimed that even on the day of his court appearance his firm had asked him to make a 450-mile journey before facing the magistrates.
Allen, of Haslingden, Lancs, pleaded guilty to four offences of falsification; two of taking insufficient daily rest; and one of exceeding the permitted daily driving limit.
Some of the odometer and duty location entries had been falsified to give the impression that the journeys recorded had been finished and driven legally, he added.
Michael Cunningham, appearing for Aldren, said that Entwistle had put pressure on his client to exceed the drivers' hours. Good employers would pay for drivers to use lorry parks, but Entwistle's refused to pay, he said.
Even today said Cunningham, Entwistle's had told Aldren that he could do a run to Cambridge and drop off back in Burnley and still be in time to go to court, but he refused.
Cunningham added that Aidren would still have to face the Traffic Commissioner after the magistrates had finished with him and she could remove his licence, adding: "The Traffic Commissioner is no softy and she is determined that there must be disch pline in the industry." He said that Aldren' employers were not prepared to under stand and accommodate the requiremen on drivers to drive lawfully.
The company could also be called bet!" the TC and Aldren had made it plain that h was prepared to repeat these matters t her, Cunningham concluded.
Fining Aldren 350 with .E50 costs, th magistrates said they found that the rem her of offences committed in a short perio of time was an aggravating feature. However, they had taken account of the fact that there had been pressure from the employer and the driver's previous good record, plus the fact that he would have to 'face the music" elsewhere.