New truck test plans 'have not been thought through'
Plans to move annual truck tests to a series of new Authorised Testing Facilities (AFTs) have not been adequately thought through, the Road Haulage Industry (RHA) has claimed.
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (Vosa) intends to switch the examining process to a system of contracted sites in an attempt to improve flexibility and bring testing closer to commercial vehicle drivers.
However, the RHA claims these benefits are unlikely to materialise under the current plans, which have "not gone far enough or been early enough".
Director of policy at the organisation Jack Semple said: "Change at Vosa is inevitable and we appreciate the efforts being made to engage with the industry."
But he claimed the policy has not been thought through and could ultimately end up compromising the service to hauliers in terms of both cost and site availability.
Earlier this month, the RHA urged commercial vehicle operators to make sure their workers are up to speed with the latest driver training to ensure they can still take to the roads.
As of September 10th this year, anyone getting behind the wheel of vehicles weighing 3.5 tonnes or over will require a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence.
