Licence cut for repeated drivers’ hours failings

An operator with a history of public inquiry appearances for drivers’ hours issues has had its licence curtailed after it allowed the same problems to recur.

Tariq Saeed, trading as Dreamwise Bedding in Manchester, appeared before deputy traffic commissioner Gerallt Evans at a Golborne hearing following a roadside encounter between one of his drivers and the DVSA.

The officer found the vehicle had been driven without a driver’s card inserted on two separate days.

On both occasions, the HGV had been driven for between eight and 20 minutes over five kilometres before the driver, Sulaiman Aslam, inserted his card.

Aslam told the DVSA that this occurred because there was a one-way system at the operating centre and those loading the vehicle would have to drive it around the block for positioning purposes prior to him collecting the load, or after he returned it at night.

He also said vehicles were being parked outside the operating centre on the road as there was insufficient space to park inside.

Saeed explained to the traffic examiner that he had recently lost the right to park his vehicles at the operating centre and so he had to park them on public roads.

However, he also said he would sell one of his trucks so he could park inside the operating centre again and that Aslam had now been dismissed.

At the PI, DTC Evans said: “Mr Saeed has twice previously attended public inquiries and been the subject of regulatory action for matters including drivers’ hours.

“It is disappointing that he has allowed these issues to recur, especially when the previous undertakings were designed to avoid that very event.

“I was also very troubled that at one point during today’s hearing, Mr Saeed stated that he did not know why he had been called to a public inquiry.

“He should be under no illusion that the matters discussed were serious and unacceptable.”

However, he also gave credit to the operator for making improvements to its systems and compliance since the DVSA investigation and for engaging a transport consultant.

He said the case fell into the ‘moderate’ category and cut the licence from two HGVs to one: “This order is intended to underline to the operator that the events that led to the public inquiry are unacceptable and must not be repeated,” Evans added.