News

Transport minister Jim Fitzpatrick has set VOSA a target of achieving a 15% increase in the number of dangerous vehicles and drivers taken off the road during the financial year 2008-09 compared with 2007-08. The target is outlined in VOSA's 2008/09 Business Plan, published last week, and follows in the wake of the £24.3m awarded to the agency earlier this month in a three-year package to clampdown on unsafe foreign lorries (MT 10 April).

Fitzpatrick states: "[VOSA] must improve road safety  through better targeting of non-compliant operators, vehicles and drivers." To achieve its target, the agency plans to invest in an additional 127 frontline staff, as well as allocating more inspectors to the highest risk areas, such as incident hotspots and roads leading to and from ports.

Over the next 12 months it will also develop regionalhit squads to target illegal cabotage and invest £1.5m in further automatic num-ber plate recognition and weigh-in-motion sensor technology. VOSA's Plan also outlines other measures the agency intends to implement over the coming year. Stephen Tetlow, VOSA's chief executive, says: "We will invest a further £14m in our core testing, licensing and enforcement facilities.

"We will also continue to improve the availability and consistency of vehicle testing and licensing, and have more innovative services coming online." By 31 March 2009, VOSA plans to enable commercial customers to book and pay for their LGV annual tests online and  receive updates on changes to legislation and standards online.

VOSA also plans to provide tests when and where customers want them by providing statutory testing closer to the point of vehicle maintenance and inspection. As part of the O-licensing reform programme, VOSA will implement a simplified structure of licensing and testing fees by April 2009, subject to parliamentary approval of necessary legislation.