DVSA director of Operations South, Richard Hennessey, said: “We acknowledge that ATFs, operators and their representative bodies are very concerned about the availability of testing slots and the ease of securing a test booking.
“We are in the process of recruiting an additional 85 vehicle testers into the high demand areas. This will have the benefit of also relieving testing pressure in other parts of the UK. We have established measures to help ensure that there is adequate testing capacity in areas of high demand. These have already been put into operation for the busy summer period.”
In addition, DVSA has also announced that it would increase the number of network business managers to support ATFs, as well as work with industry to help those unable to secure a test to find slots, and collaborate on other programmes.
John Parry, chair of the irtec steering group of the IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers) said: “We welcome DVSA’s announcement that it will supply more testers, but only time will tell whether it will be enough. This situation is endemic of a much wider problem; a lack of engineers in the transport sector.”
Since the meeting, DVSA has also launched a recruitment campaign for 20 three-year placements for vehicle testing apprentices (deadline: 3 July. More information: https://is.gd/ivazeb).
Parry praised that development: “Again, we would welcome this move and would urge DVSA to propose an attractive career path for its apprentices.”
Although the parties involved in the meeting spoke positively about it, their statements suggest a general disagreement about the fundamental facts about ATF availability.
On one hand, industry associations complain that hauliers are having difficulty booking testing slots. For example, Tom Cotton from the RHA said: “The industry has had serious problems getting testing slots from DVSA that has stifled the ability to get vehicles tested quickly. The severe and active rationing of available slots has been getting worse for some time, so it is welcome that DVSA are now committing to improving the availability of testing slots and actively helping hauliers and ATF operators secure slots when needed.”
On the other hand, DVSA’s figures suggest the problem is minor. Since January, it has fulfilled 99.60% of its reservations, carrying out 30,800 tests. In that same period, it has cancelled 154 reservations, compared to 632 cancelled by the ATFs, according to DVSA. Furthermore, it stated that demand for test slots has increased by 18% over the past year, despite the national fleet size of vehicles that require testing remaining static.
Some industry groups have suggested that a solution to the problem of availability might be to open up testing to non-DVSA personnel.
DVSA said it opposed the idea: “Delegated testing has been suggested by industry as one way forward. However, this would require primary legislation and our focus at present is concentrating on addressing the immediate challenges surrounding heavy vehicle testing.”
The IRTE also raised concerns about this idea. Parry explained: “At IRTE, our concern with outsourcing would be from a safety perspective. We are dealing with complex vehicles that, even with a minor fault, can be dangerous. By outsourcing, you are potentially taking away a level of quality assurance that could be decisive to how that vehicle performs on the road.”
However, if the testers were accredited to the IRTE irtec standard, the trade association said it would be in favour. “If the MOTs were being conducted with irtec-licenced technicians in premises that are Workshop Accredited, safety would not be at risk,” Parry added.