Operator taken off the road for five years

Licence revoked for five years after £700 fines for tacho offences. Convictions for suspected tachograph fiddling and evidence that drivers were not supervised have led to an operator being taken off the road for five years.

Bishop Auckland international haulier Andrew Batey was disqualified from holding or obtaining an O-licence for five years following the revocation of his licence after tachograph interrupter switches were found in two of his vehicles.

Batey, trading as FBT International, held a licence for five vehicles and seven trailers. He had been called before North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Elizabeth Perrett.

She heard that after the switches were found Batey was fined £700, with £1,665 costs, on two charges of having unauthorised devices in the vehicles. An examination of tachograph records and fuel receipts showed there were fuel withdrawals for which there were no corresponding tachograph records. Mileage was missing between the tachograph charts on either side of the receipts. There were also entries on weekly running sheets for which there were no corresponding tachograph records.

Batey denied any knowledge of the interrupter switches. He said he employed many casual drivers at the weekends, paying them cash. He did not have all their addresses (CM 4 June).

In her decision, the DTC said she felt there was much she had not been told. Andrew Batey had worked for his father, Frank, whose licence was revoked in 2005. She considered the way the operation was supervised was sloppy and uncoordinated. A reputable operator would have moved heaven and earth to get to the bottom of the installation and use of the devices.

She was told that the two main customers contacted the drivers direct to inform them of the work required. That meant that Batey had no idea of what his drivers were doing and when. Why was one driver taking tablets and drinking Red Bull to assist him staying awake? Did Batey know, and if he did not, why not?

No proper control

The DTC found Batey's attitude to be alarming. With a lack of attention to detail and leadership, the running of the operation had been shambolic.