Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency
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Test vehicle legislation delayed until 2013
Legislation regarding the use of heavier vehicles for driving tests has been delayed until September 30, 2013. British Ministers have decided to take up this option to allow driving test candidates to continue to use vehicles that meet current weight standards until that date.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA), who are responsible for bringing in the new requirements, have been working with key stakeholders to identify how test candidates will be able to comply with the new standards.
Further information can be found on the DSA website @ http://www.dsa.gov.uk about test vehicle requirements.
Background
In 2000 the European Commission introduced revised minimum standards for vehicles used for practical driving tests - commonly known as Minimum Test Vehicles (MTVs). One requirement is that vehicles used for test must meet a minimum 'real weight' requirement on the day that they present for test. In some cases this may involve a load being carried on the vehicle to meet the weight requirement.
Member States were originally required to implement this part of the Directive by October 11, 2010, and DSA conducted a public consultation on that basis. In the response to consultation report, Ministers stated that GB would implement the new requirements by that date.
Following representations by Member States, the legislation was amended under the comitology procedure (a form of delegated decision-making) so as to require implementation by 2013.
It is Government policy not to transpose EU Directives earlier than required and Ministers have agreed it would be sensible to revisit the original ministerial decision and opt to implement the revised MTV requirements in 2013 for GB.
Northern Ireland is also planning to take advantage of the more relaxed timetable.
Notes to Editor:
1. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is an executive agency * of the Department for Transport.
2. The DSA's vision is "Safe Driving for Life" with an overall mission to contribute towards a Government target of achieving a 40% reduction in riders and drivers killed or seriously injured in road accidents, in the age group up to 24 years, by 2010.
3. Current information on road casualties is available from the Department for Transport website: http://www.dft.gov.uk
4. The Agency's aim is to promote road safety through setting standards for drivers, riders and trainers, testing drivers and riders fairly and efficiently, maintaining the registers of Approved Driving Instructors, Large Goods Vehicle Instructors, Fleet Trainers, Driving Instructor Trainers and Post Test Motorcycle Trainers, supervising Compulsory Basic Training for learner motorcyclists and driver education and the provision of learning resources.
5. DSA is a trading fund * with an expected turnover of around £199 million for the year 2008/9, fully funded by fee income and revenue from its activities.
6. DSA employs over 2,700 staff, of which some 2,000 are driving examiners based at over 400 test centres across mainland Great Britain. In 2007/2008 the Agency conducted 1.8 million practical tests for car drivers, over 95,000 vocational tests and 94,000 motorcycle rider tests. A total of 1.7 million theory tests were carried out at 158 centres. At the end of the year there were around 43,600 people on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors.
7. DSA was one of the first Government Agencies to introduce an 'online'
8. booking service. Candidates can book and manage their theory and practical test appointments on line at http://www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest
* Executive agency:
An executive agency is semi-detached from its parent department and manages its own budget with freedom from ad hoc, day to day intervention and much of central, government-wide regulation. They are run under the organisation and direction of a Chief Executive recruited through open competition. An executive agency has accountability for the performance of specific operational tasks as a corporate unit, including focused performance targets set by the parent department and personal accountability of the chief executive for performance.
* Trading Fund:
A trading fund is a means of financing trading activities undertaken by Government that would previously have been financed by annual appropriation from Parliament. A trading fund permits the establishment of a self-accounting unit that remains under the control and management of Ministers and accountable to Parliament through Ministers, but has greater freedom to manage its financial affairs. Effectively that means the trading fund body can use its income to settle its liabilities and retain year-end cash balances.
Establishing the trading fund does not alter the Agency's constitutional position and it remains part of the Department for Transport.
