Time to come clean on drivers hours, says regulator05 February 2014

Operators must ensure they understand the requirements of digital tachograph reporting, or they risk losing their licence. That's the warning from Nick Denton, traffic commissioner for London and the South East, after he suspended a scaffolding firm for three weeks for "serious and prolonged drivers' hours shortcomings".

DVSA (formerly VOSA) examiners reported Park Lane Scaffolding – and its drivers – for various infringements, including failing to obtain a company tachograph card and digital download equipment several months after buying a vehicle with a digital tachograph.

Denton said he had seen several cases at public enquiry recently of restricted operator licence holders running digital tachograph vehicles with "no idea how to use them". The directors of Park Lane Scaffolding had failed to get a company card, despite being told to do so by a DVSA traffic examiner.

The enquiry also heard that one driver had worked for 12 consecutive days before taking a weekly rest, and other drivers were breaching the regular weekly rest requirement. A driver was also allowed to use a digital tachograph vehicle without a digital tachograph card.

The commissioner concluded the firm was not undertaking any analysis of analogue charts either, as several obvious offences had been missed – this was despite a warning and two-day suspension in July 2012 for similar offences.

"It is simply not acceptable for operators to purchase vehicles fitted with digital tachographs and then run them without bothering to find out what the legal requirements relating to digital tachographs are," said the commissioner.

"The legal requirements are not a state secret – they are clearly set out on the government website, and trade bodies such as the RHA and FTA, as well as the trade press, are constantly issuing advice."

He added: "Too many operators seem to be content to get their advice on digital tachographs from a bloke down the pub, rather than DVSA [formerly VOSA] or a trade body."

Author
Laura Cork

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.