NFDA calls for private-sector HGV testers

The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers, has said that a move to allow private technicians to perform annual tests for HGVs: “could only be a step in the right direction.”

NFDA said it had already written to the new roads minister Andrew Jones to advocate the policy, which its director Sue Robinson claimed: “would not only bring the HGV-MOT service in line with the current system for car and van MOTs, but create greater flexibility for business.”

The current model being pursued by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which has been gradually replacing the agency’s network of in-house test stations, is the authorised testing facility (ATF) network.

The scheme is somewhat of a public-private halfway house, in that the testing facilities are owned and administered by private firms – usually either fleet operators, dealerships or independent workshops – but the tests themselves are still carried out by DVSA’s own technicians.

In 2013, the DVSA (then VOSA) told Transport Operator that it had no plans to fully privatise testing by allowing ATF operator employees to perform the actual tests. But with a further round of public spending cuts to come, the Department for Transport is soon likely to be looking for further efficiency savings at its agencies – raising the question of whether the government may consider a change to this policy.

“Whilst the introduction of new private ATFs throughout the country has enabled vehicles to be both prepared and checked at the same time, ministry testers are still restricted to their standard working hours,” said Robinson.

“Businesses are also hindered by the travel time it takes to reach testing stations, which unnecessarily increases the time a vehicle is out of action and reduces a business’s operational abilities. The government is also losing money paying for travel costs.”

She continued: “New private testers would allow businesses to operate 24 hours per day, throughout the year, whilst maintaining a high level of safety standards on UK roads.”

Addressing a criticism some have levelled against the notion of a fully private annual test scheme – that private testers might be less likely to fail vehicles – Robinson said that this was not reflected in DVSA’s figures.

“In 2013/14, 40 per cent of all cars, vans and passenger vehicles were failed; the number rose to 50 per cent for Class 7 goods vehicles. These tests are done by private authorised garages. I see no reason why this cannot be applied to HGVs.”