A bus driver potentially put lives at risk by breaching rest day regulations, a recent sitting of Roscommon District Court heard.
At the sitting, prosecutions were brought by the Road Safety Authority against Hennessy Coaches Ltd, Shurock, Moate, County Westmeath, and its employee bus driver Adam Stecura, with an address at 7 Meadow Hill, Marlton Road, Balynerrin, County Wicklow.
Both accused entered guilty pleas to the offences against regulations, which happened on July 28th, 2025 at Killeenreevagh, on the N61. They were legally represented by Mr Owen Carty.
Mr Stecura was prosecuted for failing to commence a weekly rest period no later than at the end of six 24-hour periods from the end of the previous weekly rest period, and that he failed to use a record sheet or driver card on each day on which he was driving starting from the moment he took over the vehicle.
The company was prosecuted for failing to organise Mr Stecura’s work in such a way that he was able to comply with regulations, that it failed to ensure the correct functioning and proper use of a digital tachograph, and that it failed to ensure that all data from the bus was downloaded every 90 days.
During the sitting, Judge James Faughnan heard evidence from an inspector with the RSA that he inspected the bus, a 51 seater, on the day in question, and that there were Japanese tourists on board. He was told that it appeared the driver had not inserted his driver’s card, and that the driver had been driving for 20 consecutive days.
A replacement driver was sent out by the company. During a subsequent interview with the company, the inspector was told that Mr Stecura had been invoicing for relief drivers and driving himself. The company also said it would upgrade the equipment to allow the remote downloading of data in the future.
After hearing the evidence, Judge Faughnan said he wished for both accused to appear before him, saying “this is serious”.
“I want to see the colour of their eyes, particularly the driver,” he said, whom he said had put people’s lives at risk. The case was adjourned until July.
