Busy times…
Currently there’s a lot happening at VOSA on the MOT. The disciplinary review is reaching its final stage, and a small sub-group from the trade (myself included), are considering VOSA’s first draft of the VEs’ revised ‘Operating Instructions’ which define the working relationship between VEs and Testing Station staff.
Then, due in November, changes allowing smaller VTSs with restricted premises operating on ‘grandfather rights’, to install automatic and one person MOT Test lanes.
The ‘traffic light’ enforcement scheme has been handed over to Ian Bartlett in VOSA’s Testing Policy Group, which hopefully over time will ‘morph’ into something more ‘MOT centred’.
Then finally, the integration of the Class 4 and Class 7 Manuals being undertaken by VOSA’s John Stephenson – a busy time indeed.
Those SLAs
It is no secret that I have serious doubts about the SLA’s benefits to individual Testing Stations. Yet their very existence is a landmark. For the first time VOSA acknowledges obligations to VTSs and through the efforts of the three MOT trade representatives closely involved, issues are now included that VOSA originally wanted left out – it’s a start.
Even so it’s too one-sided. There’s no specifics regarding what happens if VOSA default. For example, disciplinary action dropped if VOSA fail to reach a conclusion within their agreed timescales, or a compensation basis if the MOT computer fails – and so on.
Hopefully with continued and increased pressure from the MOT Trade as a whole, the SLA can be ‘morphed’ into something more directly beneficial to individual VTSs.
Stop Press! A troubling reader’s letter
In our ‘Reader’s letters’ column is a letter from a Mr Boyce, proprietor of S&B Motors in Edgware whose MOT computer broke down time, and time, and time again (see reader’s letters). He claimed compensation – in a very specific, time consuming and complicated way which VOSA demanded. Then after numerous letters, telephone calls and visits from Siemens, he was told his £11,000 + compensation claim was refused because VOSA/Siemens don’t know whose fault it was, so nobody could be blamed; yet one thing is certain, it wasn’t Mr Boyce’s fault!
Then, just as we were going to press he called to say he had received another letter, this time from VOSA’s acting Chief Executive Alistair Peoples – enclosing a cheque for £400, which, despite the money, upset him further.
It wasn’t compensation for the breakdowns, but compensation for VOSA’s delays and ‘maladministration’ in dealing with his claim. Yet this enraged him more because, he said, “what really annoyed me about this latest letter was being referred to as a “customer” when in another part of the letter Peoples says “…there is no contract between the Agency and MOT garages and no relationship giving rise to a duty of care”…if we don’t have a contract, why call us customers?” He continued, “I’ve seen their Service Level Agreement with the trade, and I think it’s of no benefit at all… not worth the paper it is written on, just meaningless words”.
I’ve read Peoples’ letter to Mr Boyce which confirms that Testing Stations don’t have any formal ‘rights’ – so as a matter of pure logic, with no contract, and no duty of care, this surely serves to undermine the very basis of VOSA’s much vaunted SLAs… See our website at www.motester.co.uk for the full story and all the correspondence between VOSA and S&B Motors.
MOT news snippets
◆ When motorist Michael Cook, 49 from South Shields went to a DVLA office to renew his car tax he got an unpleasant surprise. The DVLA Official serving him decided that the colour of the MOT Certificate he had presented was not correct and called the police. Suspecting Cook of presenting a fraudulent certificate he was arrested and imprisoned in a police cell for three hours until the DVLA finally established that the MOT certificate was genuine.
Reported in the Sun newspaper, self employed roofer Cook said “I could not believe what was happening. It was so embarrassing.” Unlawful arrest of a Tester accused of stealing a policeman customer’s sun-glasses, as reported in the last issue of MOT Testing, and now this. The police really do seem to be struggling when it comes to MOT issues!
◆ Whilst in our last issue we denigrated the Government’s proposed scrappage scheme because increasing new car sales would reduce the number of MOTs, in the light of the details of the Government’s scheme which have now emerged we were wrong. To qualify for the Government’s scrappage subsidy the vehicle that is traded in for scrapping must have a current MOT. Whilst this has enraged some motorists who argue that it is totally wasteful to pay money to repair a car that is inevitably going to be scrapped, it has been good for business for MOT Testing Stations and car repair businesses. There has also been some confusion in that some dealerships have insisted that the vehicle must have a current MOT when the purchase is completed, whereas the rules do allow the MOT to have been expired for up to 14 days. It has to be conceded, however, that it does seem somewhat wasteful of time and money to install new components on a vehicle destined for the crusher!
◆ Following a crack-down in Leicester by police at used car sales outlets, 22 vehicles were removed for not having a valid MOT Test certificate whilst being on display on forecourts. The motor traders concerned were given the choice of having the vehicles repaired and successfully MOT Tested, or having them crushed.
◆ After another crack-down, joint operation by VOSA and Chichester District Council outside Chichester Railway Station last, a taxi driver Guy Abbot aged 67, was banned from driving for two months, fined £80 and charged £200 costs by Chichester magistrates court. Whilst the vehicle had been Tested the previous day, the driver, had failed to have the failure items remedied and the vehicle re-Tested. VOSA SVE said “This highlights VOSA’s determination to stop drivers who put others at risk by flouting the law and compromising road safety.” This approach by VOSA, of taking action against ‘MOT dodgers’ is in sharp contrast to that of some police forces who merely ask motorists without a certificate to present a valid MOT at a police station within a few days.