Digital tacho transition sparks monitoring failures

An operator that failed to monitor drivers’ hours for more than three years and undertook no tachograph analysis has had its licence curtailed for a week.

Deputy traffic commissioner Gerallt Evans said the “reckless” failure by St Helens operator Budget Cases caused an undue risk to road safety and regulatory action was necessary.

However, he also credited the company for taking action following a DVSA investigation and acknowledged that effective analysis was now in place to detect any falsification.

An encounter with the enforcement agency raised concerns about off card driving and further investigations showed that none of the tachograph units on the operator’s three HGVs had been analysed for between 30 and 45 months.

On five occasions it appeared drivers had forgotten to insert their card and on two occasions a driver had deliberately ejected his card as he neared the end of his four-and-a-half hours driving.

Director Andrew Earley said analysis of the data had taken place previously with the analogue tacho units but once it had acquired vehicles with digital tachographs the analysis had stopped.

He accepted that as the responsible person this was his responsibility and since the DVSA probe he had started using consultants, introduced new systems and he had also attended an operator licence awareness training course.

In his written decision confirming the curtailment for seven days, DTC Evans said: “I cannot overlook the seriousness of the failure to undertake any tachograph analysis for such a protracted period and resulted in falsification offences being undetected.”