So, you want to be an ATF?
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A week on from the publication of VOSA's long-awaited contract for Authorised Testing Facilities, CM has waded through the 47-page document to flesh out the details.
Words: Laura Hailstone FOR THOSE WHO have expressed an interest in becoming an Authorised Testing Facility — referred to as the ATF party — the first decision is whether to test just your own vehicles, or open your doors to other hauliers.
Based on VOSA's own calculations of setting up a single test lane at an existing site, an aspiring ATF party is looking at an up-front investment of £93,000, and annual operating costs of £52,000. Therefore, offering third-party testing may be commercially necessary The ATF party can choose the level of third-party testing it will offer: • Category A: all vehicles and trailers
• Category B: all goods vehicles and trailers
• Category C: all public-service vehicles
• Category D: single-deck pub I icservice vehicles
• Category E: all trailers • Category F: all rigids (including articulated motive units) • Category G: restricted vehicles (restrictions can be based upon length, height, width andJor a maximum authorised mass) In order to cover its costs, an ATF party will be able to charge a pit fee to third parties that is over and above the VOSA test fee.
The pit fee is to he capped at £55 for litiVs and £40 for trailers, and VOSA stresses the cap cannot be exceeded under any circumstances. The agency will, however, review the cap annually.
ATF parties may also charge for other goods and services necessary for testing third-party vehicles, such as providing a load for an unladen vehicle.
The pit fee rule does not apply to these additional services.
If an ATF party wishes to cease providing third-party testing, it can do so by giving VOSA six months' notice.
Booking process
ATFs are contracted to reserve examiners for at least two consecutive testing periods (3.5 hours each). Under certain circumstances, VOSA may consider allowing single testing periods.
ATF parties can reserve examiners in two ways: advance hooking, which allows examiners to be reserved over a calendar year: or short-term booking, which will enable ATFs to reserve examiners up to at least two months ahead on a rolling basis.
If the ATF party cancels a confirmed reservation more than seven days in advance, it is not liable to make any payments to VOSA. If less than seven days' notice is given, VOSA will keep the reservation fee (plus VAT) for each testing period that is cancelled.
The contract specifies a 'fair usage' policy related to reserving examiners in order to avoid consistent underutilisation of examiners' time. It also relates to frequent late cancellations of reservations.
Payments
All tests will be paid for using a prefunded account, from which VOSA will deduct the reservation fee for each confirmed testing period seven days in advance.
It is the responsibility of the ATF party to ensure sufficient funds are kept in the pre-funded account.
To ensure that ATFs provide a reasonable number of vehicles to be tested for each slot, the reservation fee is linked to a basket of fees that could reasonably be expected to be collected from statutory tests during a single testing period of 3.5 hours.
The fee is set at the higher total of £360, or the sum of the following combination of annual statutory test fees: one x large PSV, one x two-axle HGV, one x one-axle trailer, one x twoaxle trailer and one x three-axle trailer.
If an examiner arrives more than two hours late for a testing period. VOSA will pay a cancellation payment that is equal to the reservation fee for that testing period.
If an examiner fails to complete a testing period, then VOSA will forego the right to keep the balance of the reservation fee above the test fees earned.
Termination
The contract term is set for four years, after which time an ATF may give 12 months' notice.
An ATF party can terminate the contract, however, if VOSA fails to provide examiners on more than 5% of confirmed reservations over a rolling 12-month period.
VOSA may suspend authorisation of any ATF site by giving notice to the ATF party specifying the nature of the fault and requiring the fault to be
remedied within two months, or as otherwise specified by VOSA.
Authorisation may be suspended if VOSA believes the ATF has breached its obligations, including charging a pit fee that exceeds the set pit fee cap.
Contract specifics
An AIT contract is not subject to negotiation. Everyone operating as an ATF will sign the same document.
Each party will he given the option of signing up multiple sites to a single contract, with the option of adding further sites once they have passed the technical requirements.
VOSA will appoint a contract manager, who will have the power to act on behalf of VOSA in relation to the ATF contract. •
• To download a copy of the ATI; contract, log on to: www.businesslink. gov.uk/ATF