The boss of a Dundee travel firm is to appeal against a decision to revoke his operating licence for two years.
Kevin McDonald was sanctioned at a public inquiry by traffic commissioner Joan Aitken after his company, River Tay Executive Travel, committed a series of breaches of its operating licence.
The inquiry heard that there were many instances of “missing mileage”, with the appropriate tachograph charts not being updated for distances of up to 422km.
In addition, the company failed to employ a transport manager, who would have been responsible for checking the appropriate records and a requirement of the company’s licence, since 2014.
A number of drivers and former transport manager Isabel Armstrong received warnings as a result of the inquiry.
A traffic examiner told the inquiry that there were “numerous instances” of drivers driving for longer than four-and-a-half hours without taking the required breaks.
There were also further instances where no record had been kept on how a driver got to their vehicle.
During questioning, Mr McDonald said he had recalled Ms Armstrong raising concerns.
He said he had spoken to drivers and realised he “would have to keep written records”.
Asked why he thought certain journeys were not being logged properly, he said that drivers “think they know everything”.
One of the drivers, Paul Harlow, said during the inquiry that he acknowledged some misjudgments in his record but could not explain others and that he had not been spoken to about the infringements until now.
The transport commissioner found that Mr McDonald had not had the proper systems in place to record journeys and a transport manager was mandatory.
Mr McDonald said: “I have worked hard all of my life and tried to do my best to make this business work. None of the drivers were banned, we now have a transport manager in place and we will be appealing the decision.”
