Cabbies reported for falling asleep at wheel

Photo / Herald on Sunday

The recent conviction of two Auckland cabbies for working excessive hours should be a lesson to others, the New Zealand Transport Authority says.

Sameh Soliman Gayed and Arthur Kiata were convicted for breaching laws restricting the number of hours they could safely work and for falsifying log book details to cover the offending.

Gayed, a driver for Corporate Cabs Auckland, was fined $1992 after pleading guilty to 14 charges, including one of working 70 hours in one week.

Kiata, a driver for Auckland City Cabs Combined, was fined $6720 after admitting 24 charges. He worked for about 26 hours on one occasion, twice the legal limit.

He was also disqualified from holding a commercial transport endorsement on his driver's licence for one month.

The two convictions followed public complaints about several Auckland taxi drivers, many driving from the Auckland International Airport.

The complaints mainly involved fatigue among drivers. Some were accused of falling asleep at the wheel, while others failed to stop at red lights or ignored other road rules.

Andy Thackwray, area manager of the NZTA's access and use group, said the agency was serious about enforcing safety regulations.

"The law is quite clear. In a 24 hour period, drivers can only work a maximum of 13 hours before they have to take a mandatory break of 10 continuous hours.

"It is their responsibility, and the responsibility of those operating taxi companies, to ensure the law is observed so that people retain confidence in the industry."

The significant fines were a reminder that NZTA wouldn't hesitate to prosecute where violations of transport law were detected, the New Zealand Transport Agency said.

Mr Thackwray said taxi drivers and their operators need to be aware of their responsibility to visitors arriving from the airport for next year's Rugby World Cup.

"A lot of the rugby fans arriving at the airport will be depending on taxis for their transport and they should be able to do that with the knowledge that they are getting a first class and safe service. Drivers who ignore the 13 hour work time rule are a danger to themselves, they are a danger to their passengers and they are a danger to other roads users," he said.

- NZPA