11-04-07 MOT Computerisation passes the 50 million mark
VOSA’s MOT Computerisation system continues to go from strength to strength with the news that the 50 millionth test has now been completed. The milestone was reached at 11.44am on Wednesday 28th March by Stuart Sloan of RH Patterson & Co Ltd in Newcastle. He was testing a Ford Focus, which passed.
RH Patterson & Co Ltd will receive a plaque to commemorate the achievement, which will be presented to them at 10.30am on Tuesday 24th April.
The speed at which the database is expanding can be measured by the fact that the first 25 million tests took 15 months to record, whereas the second only took nine months. The system was launched back in 2005 in partnership with Siemens IT Solutions and Services Ltd and has been successfully introduced to all 18,700 private MOT garages throughout Great Britain at no cost to the garages themselves.
This news comes hot on the heels of MOT Computerisation’s nomination at the prestigious Government Computing Awards for Innovation. It has been nominated in the Best Project - Government to Business category, with the winner to be announced at Madame Tussaud’s in London on 26th April.
Alex Fiddes, VOSA’s Private Vehicle Director, said: “This achievement, combined with the award nomination, shows that MOT Computerisation is proving to be a great success. More MOT tests are currently being carried out and more MOT certificates are being issued than at any time in history. Over 34m tests were conducted during the past 12 months and over 25m new style MOT certificates were issued.”
- ENDS -
NOTES TO EDITOR:
Stats and figures
As of 28 March:
There were 50,088,244 tests recorded on the database
36,529,855 (73%) of these were passes
97.13% were Class IV vehicles (predominantly cars) and 2.87% were Class I&II (motorcycles)
Background
Siemens Business Services (SBS) was awarded the PFI contract on 22 February 2000. The contract required SBS to establish a national MOT database and network link VOSA with all MOT Testing Stations.
The system was rolled out to all 18,300 VTSs and other users between April 2005 and March 2006.
There are many benefits of the MOT Computerisation programme, but the four main ones are:
Improved standards of testing. The ability to monitor the performance of AEs, AE nominees and VTS will help to improve the standard and consistency of testing. Testers will also be provided with information specific to the make and model of vehicle they are about to test.
Reduction in certificate theft, fraud and forgery. A new receipt style certificate is printed at the end of the test, eliminating the need for pre-printed pads of certificates.
Improved consumer protection. Prospective vehicle purchasers can, with the owner’s permission, check both its MOT status and MOT history, including the recorded mileage at each MOT throughout its lifetime. As stated above, there will also be fewer forged documents in circulation.
Improved administration of the MOT scheme. The increased data available on the 30m+ MOT tests conducted annually will enable VOSA to target enforcement and educational/advisory activities more effectively.
VOSA users are able to access the system both via their existing network and remotely, and vehicle data is passed between the DVLA database and the system each day. The data passed from DVLA to the MOT database when a vehicle is tested includes:
• The Vehicle Registration Mark (i.e. the numberplate)
• The Vehicle Identification Number (i.e. the chassis number)
• The make of the vehicle (e.g. Ford)
• The model (e.g. Mondeo Ghia)
• The colour of the vehicle
• The engine capacity
• The type of fuel it runs on (e.g. petrol, etc)
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 and pictures of the presentation, please contact: Henry Norman on 0117 954 3438 / henry.norman@vosa.gov.uk or Zita Galambosi on 0117 954 2561 / zita.galambosi@vosa.gov.uk
Page last updated: 11/04/2007