Six VOSA test stations come under lane closure threat
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SIX VOSA TEST stations face the threat of lane closures after being earmarked by the agency for having spare capacity.
In an internal email leaked to CM, which had 'Second phase of lane rationalisation written in the subject line, the test stations in Canterbury. Chelmsford, Leeds. Purfleet, Sheffield and Yeading are identified as potential targets for decommissioning of lanes by VOSA. Of particular note is the appearance of the Leeds test station on the list.
With the closure of VOSA's Steeton, West Yorks station in just under a fortnight on 31 March. Leeds is expected to pick up a large percentage of Steeton's volume, so should be preparing for increased capacity.
CM sent four detailed questions concerning the lane closures to VOSA. and received this response from Alex Fiddes, VOSA director of operations.
He says: "We are constantly monitoring the level of demand at each of our testing stations. We monitor for increasing demand as well as decreasing demand.
"The stations on the list are part of that ongoing monitoring. and until this round of analysis has been completed, it isn't possible to confirm if decommissioning might happen. "Managers review operational capacity in their test stations, and, following this, managers may need to make decisions on local capacity, which is based on historical analysis of test volumes at their site.
"This is done to ensure we are providing a service that meets the needs of our customers," he adds