Compliant operators won’t get VOSA visits

VOSA is to trial so-called ‘remote enforcement’ for more compliant operators in the west of England. The plans were announced by VOSA at the first FTA 2013 Transport Manager conference, held at Brands Hatch last month.

The Remote Enforcement Office (REO) will be tested by VOSA in an initial six-month trial scheduled to start in October and to take place in the Western Traffic Area.

REO is intended to make the enforcement process less burdensome for already compliant operators, and more effective for VOSA who will be able to target enforcement resources where they are needed more.

At present a VOSA examiner will attend the operator’s premises to check records and documentation, whereas with REO, VOSA will request relevant information to be sent to its office where it will be reviewed with the necessary recommendations being made to the operator, or follow up action taken as appropriate.

During his presentation at the Transport Manager conference, VOSA enforcement manager Richard Denby outlined to delegates the organisation’s proposals for ‘new ways of working with the industry’, and how transport managers can apply best practice in order to avoid becoming targets of enforcement.

Commenting after the conference, Mr Denby said: “VOSA has been listening to feedback from the industry and trade associations, and is looking to change the way we deliver enforcement.

“We want compliance to equal good business value, and to ensure that a noncompliant operator does not have a competitive edge over a compliant operator and cannot have a greater profit margin than a compliant operator.

“We want a level playing field so that non-compliant operators cannot unfairly bid for contracts above a compliant operator.”

Further Transport Manager conference dates and locations include: 16 October, Huntingdon; 23 October, Chepstow; 30 October, Dunblane; 6 November, Sheffield; 13 November, Southampton; 20 November, Slough; 27 November, Crawley; and 4 December, Birmingham. The conferences are open to FTA members and non-members.