Safest operators may test their own trucks
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• by Charles Young Hauliers with an excellent maintenance record could soon be rewarded by being left to carry out their own in-house annual tests—but operators with a poor record might find themselves tested more often, says the Vehicle Inspectorate.
These ideas are being discussed by the VI as ways of increasing the level of enforcement in the industry while "reducing the burden" on scrupulous operators.
It plans to determine how many operators would meet the criterion of excellence before deciding whether a self-regulation scheme might be viable.
Head of the VI, Maurice Newey, says: -We hope the move might be an incentive for hauliers." The plans might include some sort of charter mark to make these hauliers more attractive to customers.
VI operations director Bob Tatchell says they would include a quality control system; possibly roadside checks. BOC Distribution Services' fleet engineer John Cruxon welcomes the idea but warns of people using the scheme to cut corners: "It would be fine providing there's some sort of auditing procedure because it would be easy for standards to slip. A company might have the best of intentions itself, but it only takes one manager to cut corners because he wants to make a name for himself by saving the company money."
Cruxon also welcomes the idea of more tests for opera
tors with poor maintenance standards, but stresses the importance of having a good system in place. "If the system is effective, a good vehicle will pop out the other end," he adds.
But Mary Williams of the road safety campaign group Brake says: 'We are concerned that the VI is hugely underresourced and therefore we would question its ability to run that kind of scheme. Brake would also need to be assured that the requirements for entry were extremely vigorous."