The fleet sector and DVSA are being urged to work together to remove complexity from compliance for O licence legislation.
Holman – formerly known as ARI Fleet UK – said leasing and fleet management companies frequently experience delays for essential safety reports such as brake test reports and preventative maintenance inspection documents, which is putting O licence compliance at risk.
This is down to both the volume of documentation and the current shortage of technicians – and it’s implored the DVSA to intervene to make the process easier for garages.
Rachel Bullen, transport compliance manager at Holman, explained: “Getting documents from garages quickly is proving to be a big task. We need items such as brake test reports asap or within 48 hours to ensure safety compliance, but we often have to chase them to send us the details.
“As a fleet management and leasing company we take on the burden on behalf of our clients. We know that a shortage of technicians and using outdated paper-based procedures is making life difficult for garages – they are drowning in paperwork. While some have thankfully moved to more electronic methods, this is not universal and something others in our position have also cited.
“We are urging the industry to come together with the relevant authorities, such as the DVSA, to explore ways of smoothing the issues out.”
Holman has also implemented further compliance technology that will quickly identify issues, helping to pinpoint where information is missing.
While fleets running vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes GVW need extra safety and compliance checks through the O licence legislation, operators who can demonstrate a robust track record can qualify for the Earned Recognition Scheme. This allows the DVSA to remotely monitor fleet compliance through systems such as the one Holman has invested in.
Bullen added: “Our enhanced compliance system will run reports on clients’ vehicles and check documentation – this will give our staff more information to challenge and support garages with. For those garages that do use electronic methods, our systems can ingest this content easily.”
