Two of the company’s drivers committed the offences while on trips to Glastonbury Festival
Drivers’ hours and tachograph offences committed by drivers employed by ABC Coach on trips to the Glastonbury Festival led to the company’s appearance before Deputy Traffic Commissioner (DTC) Simon Evans.
The company, of Pendlebury, Manchester, with a 20-vehicle national licence, appeared before the DTC at a Golborne Public Inquiry. The DTC was also considering action against former ABC drivers involved.
Darren Lewis had been fined £585, with £200 costs, after being convicted of using a false tachograph records and having more than one digital driver card, and Michael Todd, who was fined £635 with £442 costs after being convicted of taking insufficient daily rest and exceeding the daily driving limit.
Darren Lewis said that he had lost his wallet which contained his driver card. He had sent off for a new one and his wallet was subsequently found and returned, which was why he had two cards.
He agreed that he had told a Traffic Examiner (TE) that he had two cards with him in case he ran out of hours on a trip to Glastonbury last June, saying that he panicked after other drivers were stuck and ran out of hours.
He admitted driving without a card in when it was impossible to get back from a tour within the permitted hours, and that on two occasions he had lied to the TE.
Michael Todd said his offences related to a Glastonbury trip on the first day of the festival. He was stuck in traffic for the last 12 miles. When he arrived with two minutes of his time left, he telephoned the company and he was told to either sleep in the coach or drive back. He discussed it with the other two ABC drivers who had gone down with him and they decided to drive back after being told that the company needed the coaches back.
Director Stuart Bowe said that they had been unaware that Mr Lewis had two driver cards. It was his intention to dismiss him but he handed his notice whilst he was on holiday. There was no reason for Mr Lewis to have driven without a card in the tachograph. He in fact finished work two hours 30 minutes before he needed to.
They had done Glastonbury for 20 years and there had been no previous problems. On that particular day the parking facilities and drop off points had been changed, which caused chaos. He had contacted a hotel to the north of Bristol, and had tried to contact the three drivers but they did not answer.
They had not needed the coaches back, and had taken it upon themselves to drive back. He terminated the employment of two of the drivers who had only been with them a short time. Mr Todd handed his notice in as he had failed to renew his CPC card. He maintained that he had told Mr Todd they must not drive back.
The DTC is to issue his decision in writing at a future date.
