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VOSA plans 23% fee hike: but will its service improve?
Page 4
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a by Emma Penny
Operators could see HOV test fees rising by up to 22.7% this August tithe Vehicle Operator and Services Agency (VOSA) succeeds in getting new proposals accepted.
The increase—an average of Inflation plus 10%—comes as a survey undertaken by VOSA itself shows that hauliers say It needs to improve waiting times and ensure greater consistency at test stations (CM 19-25 June).
In a letter to organisations being consuited on the proposals, VOSA chief executive Maurice Newsy says the increases will help finance major refurbishment on the test station network and modernise Its services—which it reckons will cost £60m over the next five years.
He adds that, in the past, any surpluses have been returned to operators "in the form of lower fees and charges". But Newey also says that operating costs are now "significantly higher than income", adding that while VOSA will "continue to seek efficiency Improvements, increases are necessary".
''One particular cost pressure arises from the increased number of mufti-axle vehicles and trailers being tested, which require significantly more time to test. In addition, extra staff costs are being incurred in our drive to improve test booking times.'
For hauliers running a three-axle tractor and three-axle trailer, the cost of annual testing will rise from £64 to £75— an Increase of about 17%.
The rise Is worrying some hauliers, particularly given the service currently provided in some areas by VOSA, says the Road Haulage Association's head of technical services Stephen Biddle.
"Paying £40-50 a year is not a vast sum of money for testing, but the overall rate of increase is the main concern. Why do they need such a big increase in one hit? And there's no mention of what will happen next year and the year after.'
The Freight Transport Association's Gavin Scott adds that it is likely to "reluctantly accept" the proposals, but adds that YOU will need to adopt extremely tight standards, and be penalised if it doesn't meet them.
That's a point Exel engineering director John Parry agrees with. "If I wanted to charge say 20% more for a service, I would have to Justify that and be able to measure the Improvements. How do we know VOSA will use the increase to improve the service? Will the service be 23% better?'' Some hauliers, however, are resigned to paying more for testing—as long as the service improves. Barry Proctor of Staffs-based Barry Proctor Services, says he's "not overly concerned as long as the money Is spent wisely".
Tony Gilman of Stanford-based CaG Concrete Services, who has been an outspoken critic of VOSA in the past, adds that his company is a supporter of "quality licensing".
"We need competently managed stations and if that means higher prices then I have no problem with that—and my competitors will all pay the same."
Last year, the organisation sought to increase 0-licensing fees by 16.1% (CM 30 April-6 May 2002).