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Testing, testing
Page 3
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VOSA's testing strategy is under attack again this tim Key industry associations: the RHA, the FTA, the SMMT and the BVRLAlsee p61.
In his letter to Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond, RHA chief executive Geoff Dunning calls for the full privatisation of truck testing, similar to the model for car testing, with standards enforced by an independer body. "It is time for the industry to be given, and to accept, unequivocal responsibility for high standards of maintenance," he says.
This statement has been a long time coming: all four associations have privatel expressed concerns about VOSA's strategy in the recent past, but decided to hang back, pending progress on Authorised Testing Facilities. That progress has not been as desired, but VOSA chief Alastair Peoples told us last week: "I'm confident we'll be testing at more than 40 new non-VOSA sites by the end of March 2011."
With the Comprehensive Spending Review looming, the associations have picked their moment: privatise truck testing, make some money to help fill the public coffers and possibly stave off undesired spending cuts elsewhere. If the government listens, the appropriate checks would need be in place, given the data supplied by Kevin Warde secretary of the VOSA TUS [see p131: just 0.051% of HGVs are incorrectly assessed under current tesi
ing, but 150/0 of cars are incorrectly assessed... Let us know what you think about HGV testing: email laura.hailstoneldrbi.co.uk
• The latest Trucking Britain Out Of Recession survey is now online. To take part, go to www.roadtransport.com/britain