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248 
VOSA trade unions want their say on ATF policy
Page 6
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IHE TRADE UNIONS representing VOSA staff are insisting that the future of VOSA's Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) policy cannot be decided without their input.
Their position is outlined in a letter to Geoff Dunning, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association (RHA), responding to the trade association's call for VOSA to abandon its ATF policy' and instead move to a similar model to that of car and van MoTs ( CM 12 August).
In the letter, the Prospect, Unite and PCS trade unions, collectively known as the VOSA Trade Union Side (TUS), extend an invitation to the trade associations to discuss what the VOSA TUS believes is the best way forward for the future of HGV testing. "The suggestion of simply moving VOSA's testing activity to private organisations will not remove the profit versus safety concerns we have." writes VOSA TUS secretary Kevin Warden. "A private testing company will, we believe, be interested in testing as many vehicles as possible to maximise profit rather than ensuring that testing is undertaken to the correct standard. This will not improve road safety."
The trade unions' letter was cop ied to the Freight Transport Association,the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association, as all three were fellow signatories to the RI-IA's letter to the Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond last month, proposing three alternatives for the future of HGV testing.Although their preferred option is the full privatisation of testing, the four bodies have since said the main aim of the letter was simply to kick-start a debate on the subject.
Dunning tells CM: 'The primary objective of our letter to Hammond was to open a debate with the government about the future of HGV testing. We have had an acknowledgement from his department suggesting a meeting to discuss what form a review should take and we're hopeful this will take place in the next few weeks."
Until then, Dunning feels it is inappropriate to meet with the VOSA TUS. "Once a review is agreed upon, it will then make sense to discuss alternative testing options," he says.
Meanwhile, the VOSA TUS has its own meeting scheduled with transport minister Mike Penning on 16 September.