During the COVID-19 lockdown, ATF annual test inspections were stopped and temporary measures for prohibition removals were put in place. These are now changing.
From 28 September 2020, all ‘S’ marked prohibitions that cannot be removed at the roadside will need to be inspected by DVSA at an ATF.
If the vehicle is being used with a certificate of temporary exemption or the annual test certificate is over 6 months old, the vehicle will be referred for a full removal inspection. A new annual test certificate will be issued with the removal notice once a pass result is achieved.
Vehicles with an annual test certificate less than 6 months old will be referred for a partial inspection, where a removal notice will be issued.
Prohibitions issued for an annual test dangerous fail or police issued prohibitions will be removed through the usual process of a DVSA inspection at the ATF.
Removal inspections for all other items will continue to be done at the roadside or by the Remote Enforcement Office (REO).You will be given guidance at the time the prohibition is issued on how to get it cleared. If unsatisfactory evidence is provided to the REO the vehicle may be referred for an ATF inspection.
Bridge strikes cause serious delay to rail services and other road users. Where buses are involved, there can also be injuries and even deaths. Operators are legally required to have systems in place to prevent bridge strikes occurring.
One large operator took action when they were involved in bridge strikes last year, including the use of route planning software. Here’s what happened.
Learning lessons
Following the first bridge strike, the operator investigated and rolled out fresh training for drivers, transport managers and planners. They also made sure that all sites had height measurement gauges. Following a second bridge strike, they realised they needed to do more, and explained what action they were going to take at a recent public inquiry in Bristol.
They commissioned a transport management solutions provider to develop a bespoke route planning system designed to prevent bridge strikes. Each vehicle and trailer in the fleet has an established running height on its technical record.
The Maintenance Investigation Visit Reports (MIVR), which DVSA carries out to ensure operators have the right systems and facilities in place to maintain their vehicles, are changing.
At the end of July DVLA advised that drivers whose photocard licence or entitlement to drive expired between 1 February and 31 August 2020 would be granted a seven-month extension from the date of expiry. DVLA are pleased to be able to advise that the EU has now agreed to increase the catchment period to 31 December 2020 and increase the extension period from 7 months to 11 months.
On 31 July 2020, the legislative texts of the European Union’s Mobility Package 1 (that’s the Road Transport Directive (Working Time) regulations), were published in the European Commission (Full details of the acts are in annex A).
