COMPANY FINED

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 165, 31 March 1939, Page 3

COMPANY FINED

DRIVERS’ LONG HOURS BREACH OF REGULATIONS Breaches ol' the transport regulations. in that they aliowed two Olivers to work for a. period of more than 1L hours hi 24 hours, caused the appearance of Alfred Monk, Etc!., a motor transport company, hoi ore Mr. it. L. Walton, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court recently. The defendant company was fined £l, with 10s costs. Mr. K. Metcalfe, inspector of the Transport Department, .who prosecuted. said that two drivers employed by tin- uoienuant company had been stopped by him on the Gisborne-Opotiki highway. Both drivers had stated that they iiad been on the read tor more than 11 hours that day. The men had been engaged in the conveyalice of sheep between Tancatua and Gisborne, and time-sheets later inspected by the inspector had shown that they had) both done DR hours work on the date they were stopped by the inspector. The regulations provided that drivers could not work more than 11 continuous hours in 24 hours. 1 •L have grave doubts whether the trip can be made in the time permitted by the regulations,” said the inspector, who added that in the event of the trucks meeting with mechanical trouble, it would be impossible to carry on it the return trip in .11 hours. For the defendant-, Mr. Clirisp said that relief drivers were now taken out on the trucks and all steps had been taken to keep within the regulations, as the company appreciated that the trip could not be carried out in 11 hours. Xlie defendant company was fined as above, information against the drivers concerned being withdrawn.