A recovery firm where drivers’ hours offences was “rampant” has had its licence suspended for three weeks and its former transport manager disqualified.
Deputy traffic commissioner (DTC) Nick Denton said Bud Rescue & Recovery’s director, Heeru Malkani, had taken “an excessively laid back approach” to compliance, despite being on noticed from another DTC to sort out problems at the St Albans business.
He was also critical of the transport manager of the firm between May 2022 and January 2023: James Winslow.
Denton said Winslow had failed to exercise continuous and effective management; he lived 120 miles away, made only very occasional visits to the operating centre and drivers had never heard of him.
Bud Rescue had also promised to only use employed drivers following a PI in 2021, but a follow-up investigation two years later found two drivers were still classed as self-employed.
At a second PI in Cambridge, the company said this had occurred because, having been paid on a PAYE basis, the two drivers had suddenly started invoicing for their services and its accounts department was unaware of the promise it had made at the first PI.
New transport manager Alexandra Anghilache had inherited a flawed system regarding the use of tacho cards but she had overhauled things and drivers were better managed.
Denton said this was a positive feature, but the failings were serious and so he suspended the licence for 21 days and Winslow was disqualified for 12 months.
No action was taken against Anghilache.
