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A long road ahead
Page 46
Page 47
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The deadline for European Whole Vehicle Type Approval is fast approaching, but are UK bodybuilders and trailer makers ready for it?
EWVTA has been partially in force since April, when a voluntary scheme was introduced. A compulsory scheme will be introduced gradually from October 2010 onwards with all vehicles and trailers having to comply by October 2014. Bodybuilders and trailer makers will have to be able to prove that they are consistently acting in line with the rules, and will be expected to produce documents to this effect.
If a dealership selling light commercials or trucks does not have these documents to hand it will not be able to register the vehicle concerned; an effective policing mechanism. Trailers do not have to be registered a potential enforcement loophole and for some time the SMMT has been lobbying for a scheme to be introduced.
"Such a scheme is essential for EWVTA to work and we understand that a form of registration a 'permission to use' is going to he introduced through the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA)," says Robin Dickeson, PR manager. commercial vehicle issues, at the SMMT VOSA confirms this, but denies it is a registration scheme. "What will happen from 29 October 2012 is that trailers will have to be approved before they go into use, and VOSA will be the gatekeeper for this," it says.
Approved programme Bodies or trailers that are one-offs or produced in small volumes will be subject to inspection and policed by VOSA or the VCA under a national type approval programme.
EWVTA's critics say it could result in operators paying more for their trailers and bodies because fees will have to be paid to get products approved. That will cost anywhere from £1 695 to £1,240 per type, according to indicative figures from the VCA, although according to VOSA, inspections of one-off or short-run products are likely to cost much less, at an indicated E75 to £550.
Administration costs will also rise, due to the paperwork trail, but could be offset by improved efficiency.
The industry hopes to be able to pass on any additional costs to customers, although senior executives admit this might prove difficult in the current economic climate.
Detractors also believe the approvals process will make it more difficult for operators to obtain trailers and bodies that precisely match their requirements. They fear it could result in delays to deliveries if inspections are not carried out in a timely manner.
One trailer producer has already suggested contracts might have to be altered so customers cannot claim compensation for late delivery if the lateness is due to tardy inspections.
Yet despite the concerns they have voiced, few of EWVTA's critics have said they will ultimately be unable to fulfil the obligations it places on them and some of them have made considerable progress towards doing so.
Among them is Bevan Group, which says it has complied since late April and believes it is the first UK bodybuilder to achieve this goal.
Two things helped the company achieve compliance early, says managing director Anthony Bevan: advice from the VCA; and the achievement of ISO 9001 accreditation last year following the introduction of a new paperless quality management System. This makes it easier for the business to prove it is obeying the rules and generate the required paperwork.
Meanwhile at Tipmaster, managing director Matthew Terry says: "We're pretty much on top of EWVTA. We've brought in a specialist who is going to help us and as part of the process we, too, are going for ISO registration."
Among other things, the company produces tipper bodies that are fitted to Citroen Relays under the manufacturer's Ready to Run programme.
"We already follow a lot of the recommendations,says Don-Bur marketing manager Richard Owens "It's only the paperwork that's the difficulty and we'll address that."
Along with ISO registration, the SMMT's Best Practice code for bodybuilders should help them pursue the sort of policies needed for compliance.
still think the industry as a whole has a long way to go though, and I suspect some people will bury their heads in the sand and wait until the last minute," says Tipmaster's Terry. "That happened with CE marking." •