Traffic commissioner (TC) for the West Midlands, Nick Jones, has revoked the O-licence of Birmingham-based food wholesale business Bangla Station (Wholesale) after driver employed by the company gave false details to a Vosa examiner during a routine stop.
At a September public inquiry in Birmingham the TC was told how a truck being driven by Junaid Ziarab, was stopped by the officer in June 2011.
Ziarab confirmed that he was employed by Bangla Station but gave the name, date of birth and address of Gulfraz Farid, a director at the business.
On being asked to produce tachograph records driver he produced two tachographs in the name of G Farid.
Ziarab eventually told Vosa that he was employed by Bangla Station as a labourer and driver, six days a week, but was unable to produce any records to confirm this.
The officer issued fixed penalty notices to Ziarab for insufficient weekly rest and for two mode switch offences. It also transpired that he did not hold a category of licence authorising him to drive the lorry.
On the instructions of Vosa officers, Bangla Station sent another driver, Sarfaraz Rafiq, to collect the vehicle, who told them he had driven the previous day.
However, Rafiq was unable to produce his tachograph record sheet for driving, so the Vosa staff did not allow him to drive the vehicle away.
Next, Bangla Station put forward the name of a companion of Rafiq as a possible driver, but a DVLA check showed him as not holding a licence to drive any vehicle.
In October 2011, Vosa wrote to Bangla Station - authorised for three vehicles - instructing them to produce all drivers' hours records for the period 1 May 2011 to 31 July 31, as well as drivers’ driving licences by 11 November 2011.
No response was received, although when Rabnawaz Farid - another director - was interviewed by Vosa, he claimed that the business had moved offices and misplaced the records.
He said “I meant to ring you and inform you I could not find them, but it’s been misplaced.”
A subsequent Vosa investigation discovered that:
- there had been use of an operating centre without permission;
- the operator had failed to check driving licences;
- no were no records to show compliance with Working Time Directive regulations;
- The operator had picked up a safety critical prohibition notice and a conviction for an overloaded vehicle.
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