Test fees fal o meet VI savings
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by Nicky Clarke • Annual test fees for many HGVs are to fall in the autumn, but charges for multi-axled vehicles could remain stable, the Government proposed in a surprise move this week.
In a consultation document sent to the industry this week, the Department of Transport is proposing to alter test fees in a number of ways in order to meet its aim of a 5% cost efficiency in 1993/4 that was announced by Transport Secretary John MacGregor earlier in the year.
The Vehicle Inspectorate exceeded its financial objective of a 6% return on capital employed, with a return of 12% for the 1992/3 financial year.
Just a year ago the DOT proposed the introduction of a £7.50 supplementary fee per axle on top of basic fee rates of £30.50 for a two-axle rigid and £13.10 for a single-axle trailer.
The proposals were rejected by the industry and subsequently withdrawn.
Once again the DOT is keen to alter the fee structure so that it more fairly reflects the cost of testing vehicles with more axles.
The options for a new fee structure are: • to reduce fee rates for two, three and four-axled vehicles by 5% from the current flat rate of £34.70 to £33.00.
• to introduce an axle-based fee structure so that the charge for two and three-axled vehicles would be £32.70 and £33.70, while the fee for four-axled vehicles would remain at £34.70. The test for one and two-axled trailers would cost £16.70 and £17.10 and all other trailer tests would cost £17.90.
• to introduce higher charges for trailers. All vehicles would cost £32.60 and all trailer tests would cost £17.90.
• to reduce elements of cross subsidy so that fees for all tests reflect the costs. Test fee for a two-axled vehicle would cost £33.90 and tests for three or four-axled vehicles would cost £34.70. Single-axle trailers would cost £14.90 with all other trailer tests at £17.90. Road I laulage Association operations director Tim Inman says the current proposals are "rather more attractive" than last year's because there is less variation.
Last year's proposals would have hit operators of multi-axled vehicles hard, costing .C45.50 for a four-axle rigid.
L The fee for clearing prohibi
tions on vehicles is also to be reduced under a new system of clearance inspection (CM 29 July-4 August). Operators will pay less than the current £34.70, but a sum equal to a new re-test fee.
Traffic examiners are expected to indicate on the prohibition notice whether an operator can expect either a "full" or a "limited" clearance inspection. But, says the DOT, there may be occasions when owing to the general condition of the vehicle, for example, it won't be possible to follow a recommendation on a prohibition notice for a limited clearance inspection.
The Vehicle Inspectorate will be announcing details of other cost efficiencies in its Business Plan for next year, to be published soon.