HGV handover delayed
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THE HEAVY goods vehicle test station network is likely to remain in Government ownership until the summer, and not the spring as was though possible.
Although Lloyd's Register of Shipping is making gradual progress towards taking over the network of 91 stations, and has made some preparatory moves, it is still at a detailed stage of negotiations, and the spring takeover looks unlikely.
Even although a final decision has yet to be taken by Lloyds on whether it will take over the station, it already has eight Department of Transport vehicle inspection division engineers on secondment, and they are helping establish the five region management structure which the putative owner plans to create for the stations.
It is anticipated that existing test station staff will be offered new terms of employment on Lloyds' terms, and that it will be up to each to decide whether they move to the private sector.
A hurdle which apparently remains to be cleared is whether the newly passed 1982 Transport Act contains sufficient legal powers to permit Lloyd's employees to issue GV9 notices for defective vehicles, and legal experts are investigating this at present.