Licence cut for Glasgow waste disposal firm on drivers’ hours 03 October 2013

Dow Waste Management will be prevented from expanding for 12 months, Scotland's Traffic Commissioner has ruled.

Joan Aitken told the directors of the Glasgow firm, which carries out waste disposal for local authorities, that their vehicle operations would be limited, because of offences by drivers and the firm's failure to deal with them.

The Traffic Commissioner heard that a government inspection body had uncovered drivers' hours offences, including false records and exceeding 4.5 hours driving without taking the required break.

A traffic examiner from VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) also told Aitken it had been difficult to obtain all the required documents from the company. She also heard that steps had been taken to improve compliance, following the VOSA investigation.

"A fundamental part of working time and driving is the need to take breaks and to be refreshed as such," said Miss Aitken. "These drivers working in waste and with skips do need to be alert – I have seen to many cases of accidents flowing from poor decision making by skip drivers – and they need to be alert to other road users."

Two drivers will be suspended from driving HGVs for three weeks in October, while the third will face a 10-day suspension.

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Department for Transport

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