Our vision to 2030 sets out how we will be keeping Britain moving safely and sustainably. I want to take an opportunity to explain a little bit about what this means for enforcement work in the future, through 3 key areas.
Standards work when they are current, relevant and clear. This allows them to be understood and trusted which, in turn, makes them effective.
Our enforcement teams across Great Britain work tirelessly to monitor commercial vehicle operators and drivers through roadside checks and operator investigations. So, what will change and why?
As vehicle technology changes, the required standards and how we assess and test those standards, need to change to reflect this. We also need to be able to influence standards for vehicle and equipment approval in the future.
Many of us can recall being told that when digital tachographs were introduced it would be the end of falsifying records – but operators and drivers soon found a way round this.
So how do we stop that happening again? How can we be more involved in the early stages of standard setting?
DVSA’s Connected and Automated Vehicle Project is leading the work in this area. The project group are engaging with teams across Department for Transport (DfT) and industry. We are already talking to them about the implications for enforcement work and are looking into Post Collision Examination work.
We are working on our systems to make it easier for members of the public to report issues they come across, so we can investigate when standards are not being followed.
One of our key aims is to get things right first time. Doing this will result in better services, safer practice, and less burdensome regulation and enforcement for everyone.
We are working with the industry to provide tailored and accessible guidance, supporting the industry to improve their compliance levels.
In September we published some new content to support drivers carrying out HGV daily walkaround checks. The guidance has been translated into the 22 most common languages of drivers we encounter at the roadside. Helping non-English speaking drivers understand what they need to check inside and outside of the vehicle when they do a lorry or other HGV walkaround check to drive safely in the UK.
Finally, I wanted to share a bit more detail on the areas most of you will most closely associate with enforcement activity.
We know the industry wants us to recognise the work it does to comply, freeing up its resources to support business growth. We will use our resources to target our activity where its most needed to identify and stop those competing in the industry unfairly and dangerously.
The general public has an expectation that regulations can and will protect them, while businesses expect any enforcement of regulations to not prevent them from operating an efficient, flexible and competitive business. We are determined to deliver proper analysis of risk, so we direct appropriate enforcement resource at the areas it is most needed.
Identifying the ‘best in class’ businesses, through our Earned Recognition and Road to Earned Recognition schemes, will enable us to reduce the administrative burden of regulation on the exemplars in our industry, while maintaining and improving regulatory outcomes.
We will continue to build on the success of the Earned Recognition scheme and look to identify opportunities to make it a contracting standard. The team are already engaging with local authorities and have some local councils and major civil engineering projects signed up, as well as it being recognised as an alternative to FORS.
We want to deliver the Road to Earned Recognition, currently in a trial phase, for all new operators, setting them off on their operator journey with clear expectations and monitoring, to get it right first time.
We will detect more non-compliance remotely through better data and our investment in mobile checking kit. This will enable us to work away from fixed road check sites and use our examiners in a more flexible way while still delivering a robust level of inspection.
We are already using the National ANPR Service (NAS) to identify vehicles that have made ‘impossible journeys’ – reaching locations too far away, too fast or both! We are directing roadside resource to intercept specific vehicles – not waiting and hoping they come by our check sites.
Using NAS we have also trialled the ‘out of test HGV’ work, looking to identify how we can detect offences on a large-scale remote basis allowing us to give advice on what needs to be done to correct any issues found.
However, to regulate ever more efficiently and effectively, we need to get to the root cause of non-compliance. We are restructuring our Intelligence Unit to better reflect our delivery and strategic aims, using our intelligence resources and NAS to help us identify harmful operators at the earliest opportunity, before they have opportunity to put dangerous vehicles or drivers on our roads.
As technology improves and we learn more about the changes we make, we will continue to make our roads as safe as we can. We want to carry on working with all our customers, to deliver the most effective and efficient service we can, to improve road safety, while making sure the burden of enforcement falls most heavily on the most seriously and serially non complaint. Our message is that non-compliance is not the cost-effective option.
Join the conversation on how we can improve our enforcement work by posting your comments and ideas – and let’s work together to make the roads safer for everyone!
]]>It’s been a while since we updated you on how our digital transformation project for heavy vehicle testing (Commercial Vehicle Service) has progressed. Since that update, we successfully rolled out the new Manage Your Vehicle Testing (MyVT) digital service across vehicle testing. ATFs and pre-funded account holders now have a digital account to manage their transactions with us.
I want to share how we delivered this new service – by working in partnership with industry – and explain what’s next for heavy vehicle testing in the digital space. You can also have a look at my last blog post on implementing DVSA’s strategy and vision for heavy vehicle testing.
The purpose of the digital transformation project was to provide a better platform for our vehicle testing services. By doing this, we were able to enhance the user experience and provide clearer, real-time data.
During last year, we successfully supported all pre-funded account customers to migrate over from their old account onto the MyVT service. Whilst there were a few issues as we migrated everyone over, we’re pleased that the new service is now running smoothly and you should be seeing the benefit of this.
Customers have been telling us that they like the real-time view of their transactions, and we are now starting to see the benefit of the testing data from our new service, particularly in our ability to analyse why vehicles fail test in finer detail. In time, we want to share that richer information with industry.
One of the big improvements brought about by our new service is the ability to capture data quickly and make test results available in real-time.
You can now see your MOT result on the MOT history service as soon as the annual test is completed. You can then view and/or download a copy of your pass certificate as needed.
Currently only certificates from 2021 are available to download on the MOT history service – but you can see the whole test history of vehicles and trailers from 2018.
Now that we’re able to offer certificates digitally via the MOT history service, we want to move away from issuing a paper copy of pass certificates at the time of test.
The MOT history service contains the digital test record for every vehicle. It provides the most up to date and secure way to check the MOT history. Using this service also reduces the need for paper and is more environmentally friendly.
Now that digital certificates are available, from 29 April this year we are going to stop printing MOT pass certificates, by default, at the time of the test. In most cases, you won’t need the physical piece of paper and I’d encourage you to view the vehicle’s record on MOT history instead ensuring the details on the certificate are correct and check for any advisory items. But, by exception, the VSA will still print a copy if you really need one – for example, if you have any difficulties accessing the internet.
We will continue to print failure certificates for the time being. We are considering whether to take the same approach with failures in the future and it would be useful to receive any thoughts or comments you may have. We will of course let you know if we intend to change or approach moving forward.
I’d encourage you to start thinking about how your business can adopt these changes, if you’re not already accessing MOT certificates digitally. We recognise there are responsibilities under your operator’s licence but in nearly all cases, you don’t need the piece of paper if the information is recorded and available digitally - should we or the traffic commissioners need to view it.
We’ll work with the industry, our testing colleagues who work at ATFs and testing sites, and our enforcement colleagues to make sure everyone is aware of the changes. Until then, you’ll still receive a copy of your MOT certificate as normal at the point of test.
Publications such as the Inspection Manual and Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness will be revised to reflect these changes in due course. We’ve also worked with the Traffic Commissioners, so they are aware of these changes and ability to view vehicle records digitally.
We recognise there may be some circumstances where you will find it useful to print the certificate from the MOT history service, for example, if the vehicle is being used on an international journey.
Moving forward, we are looking at digitally aligning the whole process across Vehicle Testing including making “Ministry Plates” more easily accessible online and removing the need to display these on vehicles. We are working on this now and will provide further details on this soon.
I understand this might be quite a big change for some of you, but it’s important we best use the digital services we have available to provide a modern and efficient vehicle testing service, which meets your needs.
It also aligns with DVSA’s vision to 2030 and plans to move towards a digital first approach in the light vehicle MOT scheme too.
If you have any questions about the changes for heavy vehicle testing, or situations where you’re not sure if paper copies would be needed, please drop us a comment below and we will respond to you.
]]>We published DVSA’s vision and strategy a few months ago, and I wanted to explain some of the positive things that it will mean for heavy vehicle testing.
Our strategic plan to 2025 and vision to 2030 sets out our vision of keeping Britain moving safely and sustainably. I would like to share more about what we’re planning in these areas across vehicle testing.
The vision sets out the likely impact that technology will have within DVSA, particularly as we see automation in the sector.
We have already made progress in modernising vehicle testing for heavy vehicles, and we are continuing to identify more ways that we can adapt and modernise vehicle testing through pilot trials.
One example we are currently working on is around whether we should include driver assist systems in the test ahead of our work on self-driving vehicles. This could be through accessing vehicle data during the test – to determine that those driver assist systems are working. It is still early days – but this gives an indication of the likely direction we’re heading in.
Another area of technology we’re looking into is around emissions testing. The MOT consultation carried out by DfT for light vehicles identified some areas where we could make improvements to vehicle testing through the introduction of PN (Particulate Number) testing for diesel engine vehicles. That could equally apply to heavy vehicles.
Although the current test measures the density of smoke emissions, the size or quantity of particles are not currently measured. We know that these smaller particles are very harmful when inhaled so this is an area that may make sense to include in the test. PN testing enables us to determine if the vehicles emission control system is working as designed - including if a DPF (diesel particulate filter) has been damaged or removed.
Again, our pilot work is in the early stages – on both heavy and light vehicles – but this approach of piloting will help ensure that we understand the practicalities of such a change and can ensure that any decision on whether to go ahead is as informed as possible.
We appreciate that that this may mean changes for ATFs and vehicle operators, so we will make sure that full consideration is given prior to any changes.
As we continue to expand our new digital platform across the vehicle testing service, we want to encourage operators to view their vehicle’s record and history digitally rather than storing paper.
Eventually, we want to stop issuing paper certificates altogether at the point of the test and remove the need to display plating certificates on vehicles. Instead, these documents will be able to be accessed through the digital record on GOV.UK. It will bring efficiencies to the service and support the positive steps we have taken towards environmental and sustainability targets.
We’ll blog more about these digital improvements in the next few months and resolve any myths around keeping paper copies.
Key to achieving our vision is ensuring that using the vehicle testing service is as easy as it can be – both for ATFs, and for the vehicle operators who use their services.
As we move into next year, we plan to improve our digital services to make it easier for ATFs to request resources and communicate with us through our new MyVT online service.
We want to move towards a model where testing days and hours are agreed with ATFs and changed by exception, rather than continuing on a quarterly basis.
This will allow more flexibility and give longer term certainty for ATFs to take bookings. And of course, temporary or short-notice changes will still be able to be agreed as needed. As always, we would welcome any feedback on our proposed approach – as we move through that system development, we will conduct user research to ensure that the service reflects what works best for our customers.
Another big focus over the next few years will be improving the application, payment and booking processes for technical tests such as on Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) and Dangerous Goods (ADR) tests – using the new MyVT service.
This move away from paper-based processes will help develop an intuitive online service in vehicle testing for applications, simplify the process and make the information required for each test and vehicle type clearer. Online payments and bookings will make it easier for customers and reduce the telephone contact through our Customer Service Centre saving time.
We’ll be sharing more about this project in the new few months.
We want to continue to work closely with our stakeholders and ATFs to increase choice for customers.
We will continue to prioritise areas of the country with fewer ATFs - in particular for ADR customers – bringing more ATFs onboard, where required.
Our vision recognises that we need to continue to work in partnerships to deliver our goals. The relationship with ATFs is a good example of such a partnership – and we will need to continue to develop that partnership to ensure we can, together, deliver the best possible service to vehicle operators. That means that we will continue to listen to feedback and work with ATFs in recognising best practice to deliver the service.
We will be working with DfT (Department for Transport) and industry in reviewing the evidence and opportunities, following the call for evidence on possible changes to the vehicle testing model for Earned Recognition Operators, and taking forward any outcome and recommendations.
A key part of our vision is to do more to inform, educate and advise customers to do the right thing first time. That means better services and safer practice for everyone.
And for many of these manuals – the format is long established within the industry. However, as we have moved away from the physical book format, and technologies have changed – how the manuals are used in the workshop and elsewhere has also changed. We will therefore be working to ensure that these are presented as well as they can – and are understandable and accessible to all who need them. It would be great to get any early views on what could be improved.
We will begin by reviewing our IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) guides, making sure the advice is clear, consistent and up to date.
Work has also begun to identify where we can make our data more accessible to help in the maintenance and design of vehicles, ensuring transparency and availability. We will be seeking feedback on the presentation of our data, for example our vehicle testing data, its use, and whether we can improve this, for customers, such as lease companies.
The support of industry has been essential in helping us get to where we are today and has helped us make huge strides in developing the service over the last few years.
I hope this blog post is useful in explaining what we’re planning on doing over the next few years. I look forward to working in partnership with you to deliver these projects.
As ever, we are really keen to hear your feedback, so please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.
]]>Bus operators provide a vital service for people going to work, school or visiting friends and relatives and rely on being safely delivered to their destination. We know this is a challenging time for you as bus operators and drivers, particularly when the industry is facing pressure to attract drivers and deliver on service commitments.
At DVSA, we want to work with you to improve bus safety and as part of that we have a responsibility to investigate bus fires and what can be done to prevent them.
We have recently completed a study into a number of bus fires reported to DVSA between 2020 and 2022, to understand if there are any trends or concerns to address – which could help reduce bus fires.
The full investigation into bus fires is published on GOV.UK but there are some specific findings we want to share with you, your drivers and the maintenance industry.
By law, operators must report a vehicle catching fire. We found that a number of reports about bus fires are submitted to DVSA a long time after the incidents have taken place. They sometimes have little or poor information and no record of any investigation into the root cause of the fire.
So we’re asking bus operators to report the incident to us as soon as possible after it has taken place. This will keep it fresh in the minds of those involved.
Early reporting can help to explain the sequence of events and often provides valuable information in the diagnosis of what led to the fire. We have also improved our reporting process for bus fire incidents. This will help us identify and analyse trends, and make it easier for operators to report incidents.
We also found similar issues with temperature warning lamps in the vehicle. While most drivers – and their employers – are responding to these appropriately, some do not. They either continue to drive or return to base. It’s vital that drivers react to vehicle warning lights at the time they appear.
Bus operators must make sure their drivers understand the warning system on a vehicle before they start any journey – and get the right advice from the depot when this is reported.
All vehicles that run with fuels, oils, and other flammable materials produce heat in the engine bay during service. DVSA assessed temperatures in the engine bay to discover whether we could identify a root cause of the fires.
We carried out tests in both winter and summer, under different load capacities and in both urban and rural locations. This was to provide a full picture of bus service operations across the country.
Reassuringly we couldn’t find any evidence that when buses are being used correctly and in accordance with their intended design that temperatures are reaching levels that exceed the manufacturer’s limit.
Therefore, there is no indication that, by design or manufacture, buses or their parts lead to fires.
This makes it even more important that operators have comprehensive and regular maintenance schedules running for all their buses and not rely on reacting when something goes wrong putting them out of action. This can leave customers losing faith in bus companies and question their reliability.
To help make sure buses and the components within the vehicle don’t overheat, it is important that operators:
Manufacturers’ technical information should be made available to servicing teams and all repairs and servicing must be documented and signed.
Drivers are in control of the vehicle at the time of any incident. We are grateful that training has enabled most drivers to do an excellent job of handling fires on the rare occasions they do occur. The absence of casualties reported demonstrates how well passengers have been evacuated during fires.
As the responsible person during a journey, it is important that drivers:
This can all be achieved through comprehensive driver training, which the Confederation of Passenger Transport can offer guidance on.
Take some time to look at the study results and give us your feedback in the comments below. This way, we can help you address issues and make sure that together we provide safe bus services for all.
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Today, 18 April 2023, we've updated the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness.
It will still give you advice on different types of inspection, the inspection intervals, data storage, and essential reviews.
We have been working with the industry to make changes that will improve guidance for operators and maintenance providers. I wanted to let you know about some of the most important changes we've made.
Types of inspections and checks
After listening to you, we learned that some of you were getting confused about what checks to carry out during a first use inspection or how often a driver walkaround check should be done.
To help we have now included a definition for each type of inspection and check. We have also added an intermediate safety check for the times you need to check the wear on some components more often than the safety inspections.
Light goods vehicles
From 21 May 2022, if you want to use light goods vehicles over 2.5 tonnes and up to 3.5 tonnes for hire or reward into or through the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you will need a standard international operator’s licence.
We have updated the guide to reflect this requirement so that you can prepare if you operate light goods vehicles for business use in the EU.
Towing another company’s trailer
If you tow another company’s trailer additional advice has been added to help you.
This includes requirements around trailer authorisation on the operator licence, who is responsible for maintenance including safety inspections as well as having access to the trailer documents.
Remember you as the operator are responsible for the condition of the trailer when it is coupled to your vehicle and you could receive a prohibition, fixed penalty or points if the trailer is found to be unroadworthy.
Brake testing
From April 2025, laden roller brake tests or electronic brake performance monitoring systems (EBPMS) will, with some exceptions be the only accepted methods for brake testing.
To prepare for this change, we strongly advise that a laden roller brake test is carried out at every safety inspection. The guide now includes more detail of how to use EBPMS and has more advice on brake testing.
A brake performance assessment can be carried out no more than 7 days before the safety inspection date.
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)
As more vehicles have ADAS fitted we have added a new section including the need to recalibrate systems if the windscreens are replaced and making sure drivers are familiar with the different types of ADAS fitted across the fleet.
Other updates
Other updates include:
As always, we'd like to know what you think of the updates. Take a look at the new guide and let us know in the comments below.
]]>The biggest story was the ban on 10 year old tyres, which the government introduced in 2021.
But more recently, we’ve shared advice on buying part worn tyres and told you about the upcoming changes for free rolling tyres at annual test.
From 1 April 2023, free rolling tyres fitted to front steering axles will be treated as a major failure at annual test.
So with just a few weeks to go before this happens, it’s a good time to revisit our tyre management guidance – and share with you some of the worst examples we’ve seen during the annual test.
Making sure your tyres are properly fitted and legal is essential to ensuring both that your vehicles are safe, and you don’t fall foul of the rules.
Our guide to maintaining roadworthiness offers more detail on what a good tyre management system looks like. It’s a vital read for every operator, transport manager, maintenance provider and driver.
Some of the key checks that form part of the system are tyre:
It’s important to ensure staff dealing with tyre management are properly trained and have the authority to make decisions.
Technicians should also be properly trained and qualified and drivers should be properly trained and equipped to recognise and report tyre issues.
Tyre issues remain way too high on the list of most common vehicle defects picked up at the annual test. Poor tyre management can also lead to prohibitions at the roadside. You can read our guidance on tyre defects and tyre damage.
During the MOT, our testers check the tread and the condition of a vehicle’s tyres.
But they also make sure that in-service tyres are appropriate for the vehicle and positions which they are fitted to.
We wanted to share a few examples of what happens when the tyre management system fails – or in some cases, clearly doesn’t exist at all!
The picture above shows a tyre on a vehicle which was brought in for its annual test earlier this year. A central tread block has come off, exposing the cords which are now broken.
Shockingly, this is another tyre we found at annual test. It’s clear evidence of the vehicle not being prepared for its MOT and a maintenance regime which has failed to keep the vehicle roadworthy. You could almost fit your lunchbox in that sidewall hole!
For our last example, we’ve got a tyre which was recut to extend its use. However, the vehicle standards assessor noticed they had gone too far and exposed the cords. By doing this, the tyre was rendered completely useless.
A good tyre management system would have prevented all of these from being out on the road with tyre defects. Tyre inspections and defect recording would have identified that the tyres were wholly unsuitable and needed to be replaced before any further use.
A tyre marked with ‘FRT’ on the side wall is a Free Rolling Tyre.
This means the tyre is designed for use on axles of a motor vehicle and trailer axles. They are not designed for use on front steering and drive axles.
From 1 April 2023, FRTs fitted to front steering axles will be categorised as a major defect at annual test, which means a failure.
We will publish updated HGV and PSV inspection manuals to reflect this change.
If you have any questions, please let us know using the comments box below.
]]>The additional weight caused by these conversions make the vehicles very close to their maximum carrying capacity meaning they are often unable to tow a standard semi-trailer without exceeding the permitted vehicle length.
Operators, transport managers and drivers must take note of this when transporting a load on such a vehicle and look at the regulations. Operators need to make sure they are familiar with how they transport loads and understand whether they come under STGO (Special Type General Order) regulations or fall under Construction & Use (C&U) requirements.
The information below should help operators better understand the circumstances around transporting cargo on vehicles with large loader cranes attached.
Some manufacturers have indicated to operators they can run these larger loader crane units under STGO (Special Type General Order) regulations. This is not the case. Operators need to make sure loader crane vehicles are working according to the correct regulations.
We have found number of issues. These include:
Operators are liable where vehicles do not meet the requirements.
We have seen increasing non-compliance partly due to a lack of understanding or incorrect information being shared.
A vehicle combination seen at the roadside with maximum length of 17.8mts and the tractor unit 1,200kgs overweight (16.5mts is the maximum under C&U regs). In this case, the vehicle was carrying 2 x 20ft empty containers which do not constitute an abnormal load
In March 2021 this vehicle combination was checked by DVSA in Devon. It was a tractor unit with a large loader crane fitted towing a semi-trailer. After being measured by examiners, it was found to be a total length of 17.65mts. The maximum permitted length for this type of vehicle is 16.5mts.
Initially, the court ruled against the enforcement action taken by DVSA. However, following an appeal, the judge upheld DVSA’s view as correct. It was determined that the overall length of the vehicle should include all parts of the vehicle including the parts the crane is mounted on. Any fittings which overhang the front or rear of the vehicle combination would not be included in the overall length. It is also worth remembering that allowable vehicle lengths and overhangs differ depending on whether the vehicle is a rigid one or if it is a cab towing a trailer.
The result of this case will be used to inform future enforcement work and we will look to prosecute operators who are not keeping to the rules. This will help us support fair competition in industry and keep roads safe.
A vehicle loaded with pontoon sections which was not an abnormal load but being transported incorrectly as STGO (Special Type General Order).
In this case, the vehicle was found to be overloaded at 29,460kgs (permitted 26,000kgs) on the tractor unit and measured at 18.mts (permitted 16.5mts). The operator claimed to have been told by the company which fitted the crane that it could be used legally and the dimensions of the crane could be subtracted. However, a DVSA examiner explained that this was incorrect and the vehicle needs to meet C&U dimensions.
The vehicle was prohibited for being overloaded. The following day the overloading issue was rectified when the operator informed Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency they had replaced the existing tractor unit with a lighter tractor unit. This enabled the driver and vehicle to continue their journey.
The diagrams below demonstrate where to measure the front and rear of the total length of the vehicle. You can see the difference between the part of the “apparatus” that extends beyond the front or rear of the vehicle. In this instance, the length can be discounted and the loader crane can be included in the vehicle length.
To help make sure your vehicle is operating at permissible length and weight:
It is your responsibility as an operator to be aware of the rules before you put your vehicle on the road.
If you have any questions, please let us know using the comments box below.
]]>As we look to invite all Authorised Testing Facilities (ATF’s) and pre-funded account holders onto the new manage your vehicle testing (MYVT) service over the next few months, it feels like a good opportunity to look at the approach behind making MYVT the best it can be for customers.
User research is the study of people and how they use products or services. The aim is to understand people’s needs for a service or product, and any problems they may have in carrying out particular tasks. This helps create and inform solutions based on real feedback.
User research has played a key role throughout developing MYVT. The service empowers users to view their balance, top-up their account, download statements and track real-time testing – all at the click of a button.
To create a new, more efficient service we carried out research to help:
Once we were confident we’d gained enough insight into the customer and their processes, we launched the service with three early adopters.
We spent a lot of time listening to what our early adopters, like Sheila at Travel West Midlands, had to say about the service so we could make any improvements as we rolled it out further. Here, she shares some of the feedback she’s given us and her thoughts on the new service.
At Travel West Midlands, I deal with most of the engineering admin within my home depot. I'm also responsible for planning and booking all the annual MOT tests for the bus division and our access transport branch, which amounts to approximately 1600 tests per year. We have 3 test sites and MOT between 35 and 40 vehicles per week.
Before MYVT, previous account payments were done by either cheque or BACS payment. This method was very long winded as I had to get it authorised at different levels. It could take up to a month before the payment was made into the prefunded accounts.
Since trialling MYVT midway through March 2022 I’ve been using it to check balances in the accounts on a weekly basis. Our accounts department use it to check statements and recharge various depots within our area for the costs associated with testing their vehicles.
I’ve found it quicker to do tasks, and it’s reduced the need for other spreadsheets and logs. Information is there straight away, so it’s a lot quicker than waiting for statements and invoices to be sent.
I would definitely endorse the MYVT service and encourage others to use it as soon as they’re invited onto it.
The launch was a success and we have been onboarding other ATFs and pre-funded account holders since, making sure that we carry out regular research with these new users to continue to improve on the service.
The new service has been very well received. Users have mentioned the following benefits:
Speaking to users has allowed us to make incremental, yet crucial, changes to the service such as:
We’re now focusing on getting any remaining ATFs and pre-funded account holders onto the service, and we’ll continue to gather feedback from users through research interviews and web analytics. It’s really important to get feedback, and we’d encourage anyone contacted for user research to speak with us.
If you have already been sent an email migrating you onto the MYVT service, please log in as soon as possible. You will need to claim your account by setting up a password.
Once you’ve done that you will instantly be able to add any team members who may also benefit from using the service, top up your pre-funded account or set up a Direct Debit if you want to use that functionality.
If you have any questions or need support, please email myvt@dvsa.gov.uk.
You can also watch back our webinar on YouTube, where we run through how to use the new service.
]]>Knowing about and understanding tyre condition is very important. It’s even more important when it comes to issues surrounding part-worn tyres.
Part-worn tyres are in use every day. If you buy a second-hand vehicle and do not replace the tyres with a new set immediately you are, in effect, buying part-worn tyres.
But some tyres are sold as part-worn without the second-hand vehicle! It is not illegal to sell and fit these part-worn tyres.
The Tyre Industry Federation estimates around 5 million, or 10% of all tyres purchased in the UK are in the part-worn category.
New tyres are manufactured to a very high standard and are designed to be safe down to the legal tread limit.
Tyres removed from vehicles and re-sold with minimal tread wear are not immediately unsafe. However, there could be serious risks if there is an underlying issue with a second-hand tyre someone has bought.
If you buy part-worn tyres, you should expect that they have been properly inspected and tested before sale.
The MSU monitors vehicles, products and components in the UK automotive sector to monitor compliance with the relevant regulations including environmental and safety standards.
Look out for the general condition of any part-worn tyres you are thinking of buying. You should check:
All part-worn tyres which have not been re-treaded must clearly show the relevant ‘E’ mark, with “PART-WORN” in uppercase letters at least 4mm high permanently and legibly applied to the tyre.
DVSA carries out joint operations with Trading Standards in GB and the Environmental Health Service in Northern Ireland. These focused on the supply of tyres at point of sale.
MSU also investigates the sale of part-worn tyres purchased from online retailers.
All the part-worn tyres bought during our investigations have complied with the minimum tread depth requirement with 96% having a tread depth exceeding 4mm.
However, 85% were not correctly marked and were therefore non-compliant.
Also, 11% of tyres bought during the exercises were more than 10 years old.
Issues we have found include:
If we continue to be able to buy unsafe tyres or there are continued breaches of the marking regulations, we will investigation thoroughly and take action against the businesses concerned.
We want to reassure operators that we are monitoring the sale of part worn tyres to help keep vehicles on our roads safe and compliant.
Tyres bought should meet the legal requirements and MSU will continue to monitor suppliers to ensure they meet rules and regulations.
If you believe a manufacturer or supplier is illegally supplying part-worn tyres you should contact your local Trading Standards office.
]]>It’s been around 18 months since the Department for Transport (DfT) published its review of heavy vehicle testing in Great Britain. And, since then we’ve been making progress towards implementing the review’s findings.
You’ll remember that the review concluded the current model of testing is fit for purpose, but that vehicle operators and Authorised Testing Facilities (ATFs) needed more flexibility with test bookings. We agreed to implement the review’s findings and have been steadily working towards delivering these since last year.
Improving what we do is important to us. We want customers to receive the best possible service from DVSA. We have already allowed more ATFs to open and ran some focus groups with ATFs and vehicle operators to look at how we can bring some of the review’s other recommended actions forward. I’d like to talk to you about these in more detail.
I mentioned some of the focus groups we held in my last blog post, but I thought it would be useful to share the thinking we’ve been doing as a result of the feedback from industry. For me, they were key to understanding how people use our services and what they need from them.
You might remember that we heard two clear messages from customers – they want certainty and flexibility. The current process of booking testing capacity and booking tests can be stressful and bureaucratic. I believe there’s a lot we can do to move away from what currently feels like a bartering process for testing capacity.
This has helped us understand that to provide the service vehicle users need, a move away from the current quarterly scheduling process with ATFs would be helpful.
Our current thinking is to move to a model where we agree normal levels of testing hours/days with an ATF – and then they stay that way until changed, rather than “bidding” every quarter.
An ATF would be able to request changes to that profile – for example, if they are growing their business – and we could agree to a permanent change to that level. Or an ATF could request temporary changes – for example, if there is a peak in local demand. ATFs would still be able to cancel days if they are not required, with charges applying if this is done at short notice.
As always, we would welcome feedback on this proposal in the comments section below. There is still some detail to refine and make sure this will work for ATFs, operators and DVSA.
By taking this approach, we hope to give certainty of what is available (so operators can book ahead with ATFs) but also ensure there is short term flexibility too.
To implement these changes we would also need update the technology we use for ATFs to be able to manage this, and for us to schedule testing time, as well as review the contracts we have with ATFs.
The good news is that we’ll be able to build on the work we’re doing to introduce the Manage Your Vehicle Testing (MYVT) service for ATFs – which some sites are already piloting for us.
Because of the way this is being designed, we’ll be able to extend it in the future from providing account information, to enabling ATFs to request when they want testing time/days and change what they have scheduled.
Making that whole approach more efficient should make it easier for ATFs to deliver the service that vehicle operators and other users need.
This will not happen overnight – but rest assured that we want to reform the booking process next year and implement changes needed to get there.
We know recruitment is difficult for the entire industry now and that you are facing challenges in the same way that we are.
As well as putting a lot of effort into our apprenticeship programme, we’ve also recruited around 150 vehicle standard assessors (VSAs) in the last 12 months and have more campaigns in the pipeline.
We have, of course, seen some of our colleagues leave the agency and we’re working hard to manage the impact of this. I’m pleased that overall our numbers are up around 4% – but we do know we need this to grow more. The plan now is to get to 516 VSAs by the end of the financial year.
We have a fantastic team of testers already, and I know that they are keen that we deliver flexibility as much as we can.
We’re also improving how we track how well the service is performing.
What I mean by this is using the information we have about the vehicle testing service and sharing it with industry to show a wide range of indicators of how well the service is working.
This allows us to work with our ATF partners and vehicle users to keep improving the service.
Through our industry forums, we have already developed an initial set of service performance indicators. The idea is that we can review these together to understand where the service could be better.
The measures we have are wide ranging. They include user satisfaction (that many of you will have contributed to), data on cancellations and data on levels of appointments committed to.
The idea is that the indicators give the data that helps us work with ATFs and vehicle operators to make the service better.
If you want to find out more about the measures and information we’re sharing, you can ask your Network Business Manager to run through the details.
I want to end by sharing some additional work we’re currently doing to enhance the MOT history service.
If you use this service regularly, you’ll know that for heavy vehicles the data is not available in real-time and does not display a vehicle’s full MOT history. It’s also not possible to access a digital copy of your vehicle’s MOT certificate.
In the new year, we’ll be making changes to provide access to real-time MOT history and digital MOT certificates for heavy vehicles. We’ll share more information on this soon.
Before then, our VSAs will offer to provide an email copy (PDF) of the vehicle’s MOT certificate at the point of test. We would encourage all presenters and operators to ask for email copies of certificates – before the full digital access is made available next year.
I think we’re making good progress on changing the testing service to better meet your needs, as well as extending the range of services that we’re able to offer you.
I’d like to thank our industry partners in helping us get to this stage, as well as the wider industry for your feedback and help in piloting projects like MYVT. I’ll update you further in the new year.
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