Hauliers drove 20 hours in 1 day

A HAULAGE firm, in which an examination of tachograph records revealed some of its lorry drivers drove continuously for 20 hours in a single day, has been fined a total of €3,000 in a prosecution taken by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

Noel Flanagan Refrigeration Ltd of Muckno Street, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, was also ordered by Judge Sean MacBride at Carrickmacross District Court, in Co Monaghan, to pay €305 in costs arising from the prosecution.

Judge MacBride complimented the national road safety body for initiating the prosecution and said that the excessive driving periods revealed were unacceptable and threatened safe driving.

The company faced 11 charges relating to various dates in April 2010.

A fine of €1,000 was imposed on one charge and fines of €500 were imposed on each of four charges.

The remaining six charges were marked “taken into account” by the judge.

An RSA witness told Monaghan State Solicitor Barry Healy that he discovered a “deliberate disguising” of driver periods by the firm during an inspection of tachograph records.

He said investigations had indicated the same driver was behind the wheel of a lorry for a full 20 hours within a 24-hour period.

Entering a guilty plea on the charges, defence solicitor Seamus Mallon said the conditions under which the offence had occurred had “since changed” and everything was now in order.