'Arrogant' driver fiddled hours log

THE boss ofa popular airport transfer service fiddled the tachograph system on his vehicle to allow him to drive extra hours, a court has heard.

- JASON EVANS

The owner-and-driver repeatedly removed the card from his minibus’ tachograph machine to allow him to drive more hours than he was permitted or to make it appear he was taking breaks when he was not.

Handing him a suspended prison sentence, a judge at Swansea Crown Court said it was “highly arrogant” to ignore legislation which was designed to protect road users.

Justin Davies, prosecuting, told the court that on December 14 last year the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency was conducting an operation on Fabian Way in Swansea and that one of the vehicles which was pulled over was a Ford Transit minibus being driven by Ian Price. He said the defendant was the sole director of Top Class Travel UK based in Blackwood.

The court heard that an inspector identified a number of issues with the vehicle which did not lead to any action but a subsequent investigation uncovered discrepancies in the recorded mileages.