26-03-09 Delivering better services and fairer fees
Following consultation the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) will be introducing revised commercial fees for testing and inspecting Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) and Public Service Vehicles (PSVs). There will also be changes to the way in which operator licence fees are collected from 20 April 2009.
These changes are part of a fee modernisation programme which will halve supplements currently charged for testing away from VOSA sites at Authorised Testing Facilities (ATFs).
The test fees will generally rise by an average of 9% and operator licence fees by 5%.
The fee changes will have three main elements:
Halving supplements currently charged for testing away from VOSA premises by 2010. The fee will fall from £13 for HGVs and £12 for PSVs to £6 from April 2009 and zero from April 2010. This will reduce costs for operators wanting to use sites run by third parties, which can be more conveniently located;
Saving operators' money by replacing two fee transactions with a single transaction and apportioning costs in a fairer way. This will mean that VOSA’s enforcement activity - previously paid for by operator licence fees - will now be covered by vehicle test fees enabling the cost to be spread fairly over all operators and vehicles. At present some 340,000 vehicles are not contributing to this enforcement. This change will save industry £1.5m per annum once fully implemented.
Revising fees to reflect the increased cost of providing services.
The consultation process was launched in November 2008 and proposed a series of fee changes in connection with: testing, processing and monitoring of operator licences, registering bus services, issuing permits, provision of examiners, technical and administrative services and vehicle identity checks.
Alastair Peoples, Acting Chief Executive of VOSA said:
“We are working hard to ensure our testing transformation programme provides the best possible service for operators. This new fee structure will help us to update our facilities and processes making them as efficient and cost effective as possible."
"In addition, these changes will ensure that the cost of VOSA's vital enforcement activity against dangerous HGVs is spread fairly among the whole industry."
The new fees are available to view at vehicle testing leaflets
- ENDS -
Notes to Editors:
It was announced in July 2008 that testing would continue to proceed in the public sector but that more use should be made of existing private sector testing stations. As a result a new style of Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) will be introduced and VOSA testing staff will become much more mobile.
The change will also spread the costs of VOSA's enforcement activity more fairly; at present 340,000 vehicles and trailers do not contribute at all. The majority of vehicles will be making a lower payment to VOSA overall (because the costs of enforcement are spread more widely). The change is revenue neutral for the industry as a whole
HGV, bus and coach operators currently pay up to 6 different fees to VOSA for O-licence services. The Department of Transport announced plans in November 2006 to simplify these arrangements
How will operator fees be affected by the regulations?
HGVs
All vehicle-related operator licensing fees (which include those paid for vehicles on interim licences) will be halved in April 2009 and abolished by April 2010
Fees for full tests of HGVs will be increased to include the revenue from the vehicle element of the O’Licence
Fees for ‘partial’ retest up to 14 days after refusal of a test certificate and supplements for testing out of hours or at designated premises will not be affected by this merger
PSVs
All PSV operator licensing fees except those charged for: applications for new licences; to vary existing licences; and for continuation of special licences for operators providing local services with licensed taxis will be halved in April 2009 and abolished by April 2010
Fees for full tests of PSVs will be increased to include the revenue from the vehicle element of the O’Licence
Fees for retest up to 14 days after refusal of a test certificate and supplements for testing put of hours or at designated premises will not be affected by this merger
Fee increases apply on the dates below subject to final Parliamentary Approval:
HGV/PSV tests including non VOSA premises and Operator Licences |
20 April |
ADR |
3 May |
COIF-PSV Type certification |
3 May |
Reduced Pollution Certificate and VIC ATF |
3 May |
Tachographs Centre Approval |
3 May |
TIR |
3 May |
SVA/ESVA/IVA |
29 April |
Motorcycle SVA |
3 May |
DDA Accessibility certificate |
3 May |
Design Weight Certificate |
3 May |
Fee increases apply on the dates below subject to final Parliamentary Approval:
Other Licence fee increase dates:
International Permits Goods |
3 May |
International authorisations - Passenger |
3 May |
Bus service registration England and Wales |
3 May |
Bus service registration Scotland is currently in the Scottish parliamentary process and the date will be published later.
Page last updated: 27/03/2009