Devereux Transport said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding an incident in which one of its drivers was pulled over by the police and found to be disqualified.
MD Ken Devereux told Motor Transport its driver was insisting that he had not been informed of his disqualification before the DVSA and South Yorkshire police pulled him over in Sprotbrough a week before Christmas.
Devereux added that the day before the roadside check, its licence checking company had also rated the driver’s licence as valid.
The force said it had carried out an operation in the county on 18 December as part of its work to create safer roads.
Checks included vehicle condition, weight and that drivers were adhering to laws.
“During the operation, an HGV was checked over after officers sighted damage to its doors,” South Yorkshire police said.
“Checks highlighted that the vehicle was also found to be fully laden.
“Checks on the driver showed that it had been involved in a collision out of force and that the driver was a disqualified driver.”
The police added: “The consequences of this driver’s actions could have been fatal. The vehicle has been seized and the driver is being processed.”
Devereux said it had been able to collect its HGV the same day and that the accident in which the vehicle was involved in was still under investigation.
He said: “The driver in question is adamant that he has not been advised of his disqualification and has taken legal advice.
“This driver’s licence was subject to a monthly check by the licence checking company we use and on the day before the incident, on our normal internal checking procedure on this company’s system, the driver’s licence was valid.”
Devereux said that, coincidentally, its licence checking company was due to check the driver’s licence again on the day of the incident, at which point it showed disqualification.
South Yorkshire police added: “It cannot be shied away from that vehicles of a greater weight are more likely to cause fatal and serious injuries if involved in a collision.
“We want everyone to return home from their journeys to their families and make no apologies for our efforts; it’s not about enforcement – it’s about saving lives.”
