The latest Business Plan from the DVSA has been published, are there any clues regarding frequency of MOT testing? BY Hayley Pells MSc CAE FIMI
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Business Plan for 2022-2023 was made available to the public 17th May 2022 and sets out the priorities of the agency for pandemic recovery and major projects for the coming year. As tension mounts surrounding the frequency of MOT testing, documents like this serve to give warning as to what to expect for the immediate future, and the long-term plan for road safety.
The foreword mentions an expectation of a Cabinet Office Tailored Review this year, following a recent Review of the Traffic Commissioner function. The Traffic Commissioners (TCs) are responsible for
- licensing and regulation of those who operate:
- heavy goods vehicles (HGVs)
- public service vehicles (PSVs)
- registration of local bus services
- taking action against drivers of HGVs and PSVs
- environmental suitability of centres designated as parking locations for HGVs, potentially imposing financial penalties against bus operators that fail to run against registered timetables
The DVSA will work with the review team, and support them through the process, but it is unclear if the Cabinet Office Tailored Review will only be concerned with the concerns of the review of the function of the TCs, or if it will cover the entire responsibility of the agency.
The business plan dedicates a page to the affirmation
Our purpose is to help you stay safe on Britain’s roads. Our aim is to improve road safety, customer experience and value for money
And further explains how this is achieved by listing the following objectives
We help you stay safe on Great Britain’s roads by:
- helping you through a lifetime of safe driving
- helping you keep your vehicle safe to drive
- protecting you from unsafe drivers and vehicles
Focusing on MOT testing, an argument to support the current frequency of presentation meets these three published objectives. The business plan dedicates a small area to MOT testing, which is reflective of the amount of responsibility the agency has, citing that 23,500 authorised MOT garages carry out about 40 million MOTs per year. The detail offered within the business plan shows the area of interest from the agency is to “focus on improving” the service, and this is to be achieved by “driving a more modern MOT that best meets the needs of vehicle users”.
The areas specifically outlined in the Business Plan are as follows:
- improving our MOT reminder service – already used by 3.5 million motorists – to make it even easier to use
- continue to invest in technology enabling new ‘connected’ test equipment that can ensure tests are being carried out to the right standard
- use our data better to target those garages that are choosing not to do things right – and where appropriate prosecuting them, to ensure they stay out of MOT testing
Further into the business plan, under the section concerning enforcement services, there seems to be a significant appetite to robustly deliver solutions for noncompliance within MOT testing to reduce the danger that they represent on the road system. Using a strategy of technology, data, and cooperatively working with vehicle manufacturers, in addition to trailing mobile inspection kit – it appears that the agency is focusing resources on improving the current testing process rather than a reform of the existing test.
The plans laid out within the document will all require sufficient budget to be implemented. On page 44, the income of the agency collected through statutory fee income is listed as £384,443,000, to potentially halve the income from 40 million light vehicle tests could have serious impact on the ambition of this Business Plan.
The agency ultimately carries out the instruction from the Department for Transport, a decision regarding MOT testing frequency would have to come from here.
The full report can be read here
