VOSA – CM's 'Lose the queues' campaign

Our sister title Commercial Motor is running a 'Lose the Queues' campaign, to improve VOSA's service in annual testing of vehicles. It has been canvassing responses from readers – and they say that VOSA is not currently supplying an effective service.

You tell us:

• It’s hard to get through on the phone
• You wait 6 to 8 weeks for the next test date
• There are too few testing staff
• A lack of VOSA staff for designated premises is hampering even those with their own test stations
• It’s too difficult to get a test on a Saturday or out of hours even when the week is booked up
• The lack of available MoT dates is threatening to put you out of business.

One member of staff at VOSA who preferred not to be named suggested to us that staff morale and service levels were deliberately being neglected to make privatisation seem a preferable, more efficient, option. We cannot say if this is true – but the road transport industry deserves an efficient service which meets its needs regardless of who runs the show. You pay for this through licence fees, test fees, road tax and fuel duty – do not be distracted from this simple truth by complex arguments about governmental role.

Here are some of the comments you have made. We would stress to anyone reading this and VOSA itself that this is not a series of isolated incidents – this is a national problem and requires a radical, national solution.

“It’s a nightmare getting tests. It could put a smaller operation out of business. As a dealer I cannot always predict when trucks will come through my yard, but having sold them I have a ten-day obligation to the customer to have them MoT’d and delivered. I had five lorries needing an MoT and I tried 11 test stations and independents as far as Lecister. I had to wait between one and three months for dates.”

Dave Watts, Staffordshire CV, Renault dealership

“We are a haulier in and our MoT was booked last Wednesday but the truck had a fault which we were unable to fix in time. On Wednesday I contacted Newbury test station to try to arrange it for asap and was informed that the earliest date in Newbury was mid June and to contact the National number for VOSA as they were too busy to check for availability at other testing stations. I phoned the national number for VOSA number and after 45 minutes on the phone looking up availability for the following testing stations Newbury, Bicester, Calne, Southampton, Gloucester, Bristol, Avonmouth, Guildford, Mitcham and Poole they were unable to book any MoT's until middle of June. In the end they were able to offer the MoT test out of hours in a weeks time and paid double the cost at £171 for wag and drag. 

Would it not be a good idea for VOSA to offer the operator to book MoT's etc over the internet to save time and money on everyone’s part? During my 45 minute phone call, I was surprised at how slow the PC's were at checking availability. Isn’t it time VOSA upgrade the system so it’s a bit quicker!

Samantha Jones, ASHRIDGE PLANT HIRE, Thatcham

 

“I had one test, which I booked in person at test station, at the end of March which the truck failed. I then rang back but had a hell of a job rebooking. I simply couldn’t get through, ringing back every twenty minutes. I tried and the central number in . I had one truck but what would it be like for someone with 20 – you would spend half your day just trying to get through to VOSA.

This simply isn’t fair. There is so much bureaucracy and VOSA expect to be able to get in touch with us whenever they need to. But you can’t get in touch with them.”

David Theobald, owner-driver

VOSA's Response to Commercial Motor

Commercial Motor has put your concerns direct to VOSA. We told them the issues raised but protected the identity of anyone who requested it.

Below is a list of the complaints we laid at VOSA’s door – and what it said about them. We are still talking to VOSA on your behalf and will update this regularly.

• Forward booking times are too long and this seems like a 'national' problem – it still takes 6-8 weeks to get a test in Yeading or , for example.

VOSA recently introduced a new IT solution to manage test bookings. Staff have now been given new instructions on booking tests where they fall outside our 15 day measure. This will show significant improvements in FBT around the country.

• Operators complain that they don’t have the opportunity to run their vehicles through a voluntary brake test

The volumes of recent years are as follows:

2002/3               39,669

2003/4               50,469

2004/5               61,864

2005/6               71,018

2006/7               63,679

Clearly this year has seen a decrease; however this has to be put in to context of a significant upward trend over the last 5 years.

Through the work we have been doing to increase utilisation at stations we have had to concentrate all our efforts on delivering the core functions of statutory testing, this has led to prioritisation of work and limited time to offer voluntary brake tests.

We are encouraging the private sector to offer voluntaries tests and where possible we are happy to provide advice and education to help them develop their skills in assessing brake performance.  We continue to encourage brake tests during safety checks and certainly in between annual tests. Voluntary initiatives in stations this year have increased over last year.

• Booking retests continues to be a problem

Again as above, we have reissued guidance on booking retests which will have a knock-on effect to retest slots.

• An operator in complained about not having the opportunity to get his vehicles tested on Saturday. He used to be able to pay a supplement to do this. He's not happy about losing money if he has to test his fleet on weekdays

Where a particular station has a FBT outside the 15 days then out of hours testing will be offered without supplements, in all other cases testing will be carried out during normal hours Monday to Friday.

We will still of course continue to offer out-of-hours testing with a supplement.

• Many readers have complained that they cannot get a response from VOSA phone lines. They have tried the central number and their local station numbers without success. The central number is computerised, gives various options and then, allegedly, leaves you on hold for up to 30 minutes by which point most people have put the phone down.

VOSA are aware there is a problem. We have a project underway to improve the performance of the contact centre. We are also in the process of increasing the number of agents by 30%.