Nine-year ban given to Oldbury haulage operator
The owner of an Oldbury business who coerced his drivers into breaking safety laws has been disqualified from operating in the haulage industry for nine years.
The order against Rajinder Gupta was made by the Traffic Commissioner for the West Midlands Nick Jones after a public inquiry into his business, Drywall Steel Sections Ltd, based in West Bromwich Street.
The decision comes into force on June 1 and will prevent Mr Gupta from running vehicles in England, Scotland and Wales for nine years.
The inquiry, which took place in March, heard how an investigation into the firm began after a driver was stopped using an 18-ton vehicle without the correct driving licence. A VOSA traffic examiner found a total of 324 offences had been committed by drivers.
One driver had created false records of his work, did not take sufficient daily rests and exceeded 10 hours driving in a day. At an interview with the VOSA examiner, driver Keith White said he had not been given any training by the company and none of the offences had been pointed out to him.
The false record, he claimed, had been made under the instruction of Rajinder Gupta, who denied this at the hearing. Mr Gupta also noted drivers had been given warnings about their offences and that he had asked Mr White for his driving licence details on several occasions.
Mr Jones also disqualified company director, Sunita Gupta, for six months after she played a passive role in the business. He also refused to give a new licence to a firm associated with Mr Gupta, Drylining and Ceiling Supplies Ltd, because it operated illegally using a licence disc supplied by Drywall Steel Supplies.
