A fleet operator has had its licence revoked after attempting to blame its drivers for a series of offences…
Operator Loses Licence
A commercial fleet operator has lost its licence after producing 200 drivers’ hours worth of offences over a three-month period. Hunter Transport, and one Mr Hunter, has had its licence revoked and has been disqualified from holding one again for five years; following a public enquiry that took late in November.
The operator had attempted to blame all of the offences on its drivers. However, the inquiry found that the business had had a transport manager ‘in name only’ for a least a decade. In addition, the operator was found to have pressured its drivers into committing offences and even falsified records.
Claire Gilmore, traffic commissioner for Scotland, said “I did not believe the operator’s claim to believe that all the journeys he allocated to his drivers could all be completed lawfully and within time. Two of the drivers who gave evidence spoke of a culture of pressure which led to them offending to try and complete their journeys on time”.
She added, “the operator did not ask his drivers to break the law, but the culture of pressure he created, coupled with his deliberate failure to monitor driving activity, actively encouraged it. I considered that the operator’s willingness to deceive, coupled with his wilful neglect and repeated failings, demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the operator licensing regime on his part. Such behaviour led me to conclude that I was unable to trust this operator in the future”.
Duty of Care
Whilst this is a relatively small case, it nevertheless serves as an excellent example of why duty of care is so important; to protect businesses, their employees and the public. This is especially important for fleets, given the risks associated with dangerous driving. Fleets need proper management, and a formalised series of policies concerning driver safety and conduct.
For some fleets, dealing with duty of care responsibilities can be a serious challenge; especially with the industry struggling in general. This is why Autoserve’s Fleet Card is so useful, it provides an all-in-one fleet management for fleets of all sizes – and convers duty of care.
Learn more here: https://autoservefleet.co.uk/latest-news/services/vehicle-health-safety-duty-of-care/
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