27-01-10 Three Sign up to Authorised Testing Facilities (ATF) Contract
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) today published the Authorised Testing Facilities (ATF) contract and announced that three operators - Wincanton, TruckEast and Scania (Great Britain) Limited - have signed up to run ATFs.
VOSA is transforming bus and lorry testing by establishing a network of Authorised Testing Facilities (ATFs). VOSA staff will carry out testing at ATFs which will be located at fleet operators, owners and maintainers’ premises. The introduction of ATFs aims to:
Move testing closer to the customer and the point of vehicle maintenance and repair
Provide greater customer choice and flexibility and reduce overall vehicle ‘downtime’.
Chief Executive, Alastair Peoples, said:
“We have been working very closely with industry to develop an ATF contract that suits everyone’s needs and I am delighted that the first contracts have been signed by Wincanton, TruckEast and Scania; these signatures are a strong indication of industry support for the initiative.
"Launching the contract is a key milestone for VOSA and one that will help us achieve our aim of taking testing closer to the customer.”
Dave Rowlands, Technical Services Director at Wincanton, said: “Now that we have signed the contract, we intend to spread our ATFs across the country via our Pullman Fleet Services vehicle maintenance business. We want to see the benefits of testing and maintaining at the same location sooner rather than later. We look forward to enhancing our service by offering testing on a national basis, which will also help increase business efficiency for our customers."
John Biggin, Managing Director of TruckEast Ltd, said: “I am delighted to have TruckEast Wellingborough appointed as one of the first ATFs in the UK. This is a significant step towards reducing unnecessary journeys and realising more consistent test results as vehicles will be tested at their place of repair and maintenance. This will benefit both operators and repairers. We will be investing in other ATFs throughout our group with the next one to come on line in the spring at our Stowmarket branch."
Tony Tomsett, General Manager of Service Operations at Scania (Great Britain) Limited, said: "Together with TruckEast, the Scania dealer for the Home Counties and East Anglia, we are delighted to be at the forefront of this new and customer-focused initiative. Not only does it streamline the testing procedure by aligning it more closely to the maintenance cycle, it is also in line with our commitment to provide operators with total transport solutions dedicated to maximising uptime in the most convenient manner possible."
The approach builds on VOSA’s extensive experience of testing at VOSA and private sector sites, whilst ensuring the responsibility for signing-off vehicle roadworthiness is retained by the Agency.
The contract is available on the Business Link website at www.businesslink.gov.uk/ATF .
ATF Contract Launch
Pictured left to right: Dave Rowlands (Wincanton) Tony Tomsett (Scania) Alastair Peoples, Paul Clark Minister for Transport and John Biggin ( TruckEast)
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (“VOSA”) provides a range of licensing, testing and enforcement services and plays a key role in delivering the Government’s road safety strategy. In February 2009 the Department for Transport (DfT) Board approved a recommendation to deliver major improvements to testing services for lorries and buses.
VOSA is moving testing closer to where vehicles are maintained and repaired. The introduction of Authorised Testing Facilities (ATFs) will allow for testing by VOSA staff at the premises of fleet operators, owners and maintainers.
VOSA has worked closely with a number of interested parties including trade associations and a cross section of potential ATFs, to ensure the finalised contract meets the needs of businesses across the industry.
VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) is responsible for:
- Processing applications for licences to operate lorries and buses and registering bus services
- Operating and administering testing schemes for all vehicles, including the supervision of the MOT testing scheme
- Enforcing the law on vehicles to ensure that they comply with legal standards and regulations
- Enforcing drivers' hours and licensing requirements
- Supporting Traffic Commissioners to help them make informed decisions on operator licensing, vocational drivers and bus registration requirements
- Providing training and advice for commercial operators
- Investigating vehicle accidents, defects and recalls.
For media enquiries about VOSA, please contact Rachel Hicks on 0117 954 2561 or Libby Cottingham on 0117 954 3208.
You can also e-mail press@vosa.gov.uk.
Page last updated: 28/01/2010