IF IT AIN'T BROKE...
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Sir Ernest Gowers, that tireless campaigner for plain words, hit the nail on the head when he declared: "Officials are the servants of the public; and the official must try not to foster the illusion that it is the other way around." In the rush to improve "efficiency" some Government Agencies are forgetting those wise words. Take the Vehicle Inspectorate. After five years of allowing operators to deal directly with local test stations the VI now wants them to book annual tests through a central system. According to the VI this is a better system for test bookings, but better for whom? Presumably it would remove the need for bookingin staff at local stations, thereby helping the Vito meet the ill-conceived 20% "efficiency gains" being demanded of it by the Department of Transport. A central booking system, says the VI, would also allow hauliers to find slots in one of the other 90 test stations scattered throughout the country if their local site was fully booked. But not every operator, especially those in remote rural areas, will want to spend time and money travelling long distances for tests. And what if the vehicle has a mechanical defect? It doesn't make sense for it to spend any more time on the road than necessary before it gets to the test station where the fault can be spotted and, if necessary, the vehicle prohibited.
However, allowing hauliers to deal directly with their local test stations does have one clear benefit: it fosters good local working relationships. Why risk that now? About the only aspect of the proposal that makes any sense is improved security by paying for tests by credit card or via an account—but even that could entail more bureaucracy. The new scheme has yet to be consulted on. Let's hope the VI gets round to doing so soon. Hauliers should have a say in how they book their wagons in for annual test, especially as the current system seems to be working we'll consultation shows that hauliers are happy with local booking the VI should take it as official.