Driver failed to stop
A CAR dealer has had his heavy goods vehicle operator’s licence removed after he failed to stop for a routine roadside check and made physical threats to an enforcement officer.
The owner of Fenside Motors of Ruskington, Craig Macdonald, will lose his HGV operator’s licence from August 3 following a public inquiry by the Traffic Commissioner for the East of England. His licence to drive HGVs was also suspended for 14 days, until August 3 2012 as a result of a mobile phone offence in February 2010, and his conduct with VOSA in November last year.
Craig Macdonald did not attend the hearing but wrote asking for it to be carried on in his absence.
Traffic Commissioner, Richard Turfitt heard on November 23 2011 the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency was conducting routine checks on the M62 in Leeds when an officer instructed Mr Macdonald’s vehicle to leave the motorway at the next junction but he failed to do so. The vehicle eventually pulled over onto the hard shoulder after further signalling.
The enforcement officer advised Mr Macdonald, the driver, to follow him to a testing station for checks. Mr Macdonald initially refused but was then escorted by West Yorkshire Police to the testing station to be examined where Mr Macdonald became abusive and threatened the VOSA officer with physical violence.
Mr Macdonald wrote explaining he had not been prepared to add an extra 45 minutes onto his day when requested to pull off the motorway. The vehicle was not loaded and so he thought it was unnecessary for VOSA to stop him.
It was revealed Mr Macdonald was also stopped by VOSA in August 2011 when the agency issued a £200 fixed penalty for overloading. Mr Turfitt ruled that Mr Macdonald had deliberately disregarded the lawful instructions of the VOSA officer on this latest occasion: “Officers carrying out their lawful duties on behalf of the public are entitled to expect that they will not be abused. Any other operator looking at this behaviour would, I believe, conclude that it is reprehensible.”
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Weather for Sleaford
Wednesday 19 June 2013
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