Whilst there is no doubt fiddling the tacho is wrong, there should be heavier penalties against the holder of the O licence. She would have been well aware of the tacho fiddling and should have stamped it out. The fact that she didn’t suggests she encouraged it or at least tolerated it.
I’m personally quite happy those ■■■■ have gone to jail. They only make the job harder for others. A bonus would be the gaffer going down too if guilty of encouraging or turning a blind eye to this.
Rikki-UK:
Read the story on RoadTransport.com by clicking here
If ya don’t wanna click on the link here it is:-
Three container drivers have been sent to prison and two others received 150 hours community service each for falsifying a total of 76 tachograph records. The traffic examiner, Michael Tribe, received a commendation from Judge Binning at Norwich Crown Court for his investigative work.
The five worked for sole trader Carol Allen, based in Downham Market, Norfolk. At a previous public inquiry, her O-licence was revoked, she lost her repute as transport manager, and she was barred indefinitely from holding an O-licence.
Offences included driving without a tachograph chart, pulling the fuse of the tachograph to prevent it working, and ‘wind-backs’ - winding back the clock to give a false impression of the times.
The trial was the result of a two-year investigation by VOSA. Carol Allen was involved in general haulage, mainly transporting containers in and out of Felixstowe. The offences were detected during 2007-8 after the operation had received a large number of drivers’ hours prohibitions.
The drivers sentenced were:
- Paul Davies, 38 false records, eight months prison;
- Simon Bull, 19 false records, six months prison;
- Malcolm Jerome, nine false records, four months prison plus seven days related to a previous suspended sentence;
- Keith Allen (husband of Carol), five false records, three months prison sentence suspended for two years plus 150 hours community service;
- Brian Blowers, five false records, three months prison suspended for two years plus 150 hours community service.
The case was prosecuted for VOSA by Belmore Solicitors of Norwich. After sentencing, VOSA operations director Alex Fiddes said: "Although this is a tremendous result for VOSA, it is sad to see that a small minority of unscrupulous operators are prepared to break the rules and disregard road safety in this way.
"The severity of the sentences reflects the importance of drivers’ hours rules. HGV drivers must stick to the rules and take proper rest, otherwise they risk causing serious accidents.
“We will continue to target those operators who flout the rules and take action against them.”
No doubt they will come out with more qualifications than they went in with and a job waiting for them. 
What a waste 
Boyles transport in Ireland have had some drivers in jail for tacho offences,they did europe in red Scanias.
44 Tonne Ton:
I’m personally quite happy those ■■■■ have gone to jail. They only make the job harder for others. A bonus would be the gaffer going down too if guilty of encouraging or turning a blind eye to this.
The O licence holder must have known what was going on and therefore condoned it. She should go down with the others, she probably had most benefit from the fiddling and has been said, it tars us all with the same brush.
This sort of thing is not just for a few pounds, it is worth far more and it leaves a very bitter taste for the honerst operators and drivers.
waddy640:
44 Tonne Ton:
I’m personally quite happy those ■■■■ have gone to jail. They only make the job harder for others. A bonus would be the gaffer going down too if guilty of encouraging or turning a blind eye to this.The O licence holder must have known what was going on and therefore condoned it. She should go down with the others, she probably had most benefit from the fiddling and has been said, it tars us all with the same brush.
This sort of thing is not just for a few pounds, it is worth far more and it leaves a very bitter taste for the honerst operators and drivers.
The O licence holder would have been totally aware, she sleeps with one of the drivers!