Government rejects calls for private sector HGV testing after major review

The government missed an opportunity to shake up HGV testing after a review into the service failed to acknowledge reform was needed, according to Logistics UK.

The industry had welcomed the review when it was announced last year by Conservative peer Lord Attlee.

At the time, Attlee pointed to the existence of accredited private sector testers for trains, planes and cranes, and questioned why the same testing regime should not apply to HGVs and trailers.

In addition, the industry has recently expressed frustration that the HGV annual test delivery model had failed to show resilience during the pandemic.

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But despite the review recognising that the suspension of mainstream testing in March 2020 had damaged the relationship between the enforcement industry and “parts of the industry”, Logistics UK said it offered little in the way of significant improvements and described the recommendations as “minor”.

James Firth, head of road freight regulation policy at Logistics UK, said: “Heavy vehicle testing needs wholesale reform and it is a shame the Department for Transport (DfT) missed this opportunity to pave the way for a more effective and efficient system.

“Logistics UK is now calling on the DVSA to work with the industry to produce an implementation plan for the minor recommendations DfT did outline, including continued service improvement and increasing tester capacity.”

The DVSA did not respond.