1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
A testing challenge
Page 3
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Back in July 2008. after a lot of time, effort [and presumably consultants' fees), the Department for Transport (DT) finally confirmed that HGV testing would remain firmly in the public sector under VOSA. Moreover. it would also invest £28m on upgrading existing test stations.
DfT minister Jim Fitzpatrick told Parliament that one of the reasons for making an announcement about the extra cash was -to resolve the uncertainty about VOSA's future-.
The message couldn't have been clearer. VOSA was happy. the unions were happy even CM was happy — we got the impression that not only was the future of the existing HGV test station network assured, but that there was funding available to bring it into the 21st century. All was well with the world.
Then, at last Decembers Transport Committee hearing, guess what we heard? That, by 2012. the DIT and VOSA want 85% of all HGV tests to be carried out not at government-owned test stations, but at private premises or, as they're called, Authorised Testing Facilities. Annual tests will still be carried out by VOSA staff, on VOSA-operated test lanes — they'll just be in someone else's premises. A good idea? VOSAs departing chief executive Stephen Tetlow believes it makes more sense to take the testers to where operators are, rather than the other way around.
.04 Only some people quite like where their local stations currently are and don't want them closed. And if the plan is to shift most HGV testing into private premises, what was all that stuff about spending money on modernising VOSA sites?
VOSA and the Off have a problem... or-, as politicians say 'a challenge'. And that's to persuade this industry that the brave new world of 2012 will deliver a better test service, at a better price. Back in July, this column was headlined 'Testing times ahead...'. We weren't kidding.