Vosa has given its backing to the formation of an association for the owners of authorised testing facilities (ATFs) and said it wants to work in partnership with them.
More than 50 ATF operators attended the inaugural meeting of the ATF Operators Association last week in Coventry, where Vosa senior business development manager Mark Warden stressed that, as the ATF network matures, “it is important Vosa has an association that it can have constructive dialogue with”.
Warden admitted that the “financing, the reservation fee, and the cancellation policies [for ATFs] could all be better”, and pledged to look into the concerns of the ATF operators. He invited the newly formed board of the ATF Operators Association to Vosa’s HQ in Bristol for a meeting.
Paul Glover, secretary of the association and centre manager at the Stan Robinson ATF in Seighford, Stafford, said: “The board welcomes the fact that Vosa is prepared to discuss our association along with our agenda for ATFs. We would certainly appreciate it if Alastair Peoples [Vosa chief executive] attended.”
Ray Engley, RHA head of technical services, said: “It was clear at the meeting that many owners are unhappy with the current arrangements, for a variety of reasons.”
He added: “We believe there are fundamental problems that are unlikely to be adequately resolved. A big step forward would be for the government to set out a clear path to allow ATFs to test
vehicles, within a system of high-quality regulation.
“This would benefit not only ATFs but, most importantly, the operating industry,” he said.
The next meeting of the ATF Operators Association will be at the CV Show on 10 April.
