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The Freight Transport Association (FTA) says its members are not prepared to pay the current 9% test fee hike until VOSA justifies the increase. It also wants the agency to explain where the millions of pounds raised since 2003 through inflation-busting fee increases have been spent, now that VOSA wants the private sector to run testing facilities.

Joan Williams, FTA head of road freight policy,  says: "What we are seeing now is another 9% increase, which in this economic climate is not needed. We accepted those [past] increases in good faith, to pay for long-term investment. Now they [VOSA] are saying they made some investment, but not all.

"They are charged with delivering better service to industry. The problem is they don't seem to have any plan about how they are going to do this."

VOSA says that £47m has been spent on equipping and maintaining test stations in the past five years. A total of 10 test stations have been refurbished, a new station opened at Avonmouth, Bristol, and 26 test lanes refurbished.

Williams says the agency needs to be more transparent about its decisions and investments. VOSA is known to be in debt, and thought to be struggling to repay government loans, but it hasn't explained why costs have been outstripping fees. In 2007/08, its income stood at £179.9m, but expenditure was £189.2m, generating a deficit of £9.3m. VOSA's 2008/09  business plan shows £190.7m of income, but £197.7m of expenditure, leaving a deficit of £6.9m.

VOSA's decision to shift 85% of its tests over to privately-run Authorised Testing Facilities (ATFs) within three years continues to draw criticism.

Some operators have apparently shown interest in running ATFs, which will allow VOSA staff to carry out tests on commercial premises, but RHA policy director Jack Semple is worried that the rapidity of the changeover could mean test stations close down before an ATF is available to take the workload.

Asked by Motor Transport if the online booking facility will be rendered obsolete by the partial privatisation, a VOSA spokesman says: "[Its] future will be considered as part of the package of work around the ATF provision."

There is no date set for VOSA to respond to stake-holders' comments on the Better Services and Fairer Fees consultation.

Closures add to costs

Hauliers affected by the first test station closures (Bredbury, Cheshire Steeton, West Yorks and Par, St Austell, Cornwall) have begun to speak out.

Keighley, West Yorks operator R McDowell Distribution currently uses the Steeton site. Operations director Joe Balmforth estimates the closure will cost the business an extra £38,000 per year as it will have to send trucks another 30 miles to Leeds. He adds: "Our MD had a meeting with VOSA to complain. The response was basically 'tough'. It's outrageous: how VOSA can pull the plug with two months' notice is beyond me."

According to Steve Howard, transport manager at St Austell-based MacSalvors, what is currently a 15-minute journey to the nearby testing station will become either an hour's drive to Plymouth, or 50 minutes to Redruth. "It will be an expense we will end up absorbing."