ATF Operators Association requests Vosa rules meeting by Konin meczes
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THE ATF OPERATORS Association has formally written to Vosa requesting a meeting about the contractual clampdown on private testing facility providers the agency announced in June.
The clampdown involves reducing the number of sessions provided to authorised testing facilities (ATFs) that do not meet expected levels of examiner utilisation or cancel test periods with too little notice. ATFs that fail to fund their account in time to satisfy drawdowns by Vosa more than twice in any month will have a full month's testing cancelled.
Vosa has also indicated that it will consider terminating contracts with ATFs in more severe cases. Stephen Smith, MD of Boleyn Transport and president of the ATF Operators Association, has written to Vosa expressing the association's concerns about the move and asking for a meeting. In the email, seen by CM, he said the new rules have "moved the scale
of fairness even further away" and "don't appear to benefit any stakeholder other than Vosa".
The email pointed out that Vosa's proposals may penalise ATF operators for events that are outside their control — including delays in the transfer of funds that are caused by financial institutions and failure by ATF customers to turn up for booked tests.
It also suggested Vosa's clampdown is in breach of part of the ATF contract, which calls for any material changes to the contract to be consulted on before being introduced.
A Vosa spokesman confirmed receipt of Smith's email, but declined to say whether he would be granted the meeting. In a written statement, the
spokesman said the existing ATF contract did make provision for the measures outlined by Vosa, adding that: "ATF operators need to be aware of the measures contained in the contract they have signed."
The "further guidance" that was announced by Vosa was issued in part "to provide ATF operators with early warning that... the contract provisions would be enacted," he said.
"This approach appears to have achieved the desired result, with notable ATF improvements being made in the small number of cases where it was necessary," added the spokesman.