VOSA is planning to step up enforcement action on van operators who are not complying with the regulations.

At a recent speech to van operators at the Freight Transport Association’s Van Excellence conference in Sheffield, Gordon Macdonald, VOSA’s Head of Enforcement Policy, made it clear that the organisation planned to crackdown on rogue van operators, saying that:

“VOSA [is] determined to improve van operational standards and makes no secret of its intention to significantly ramp up the number of roadside inspections and other enforcement activity”

Van operators’ relative lack of regulation when compared to HGV and bus operators — vans up to 3.5t don’t require an operator’s licence, six-week maintenance checks or driver tachographs — has enabled many van operators to enjoy considerable freedom from enforcement in recent years.

50% MOT Failure Rate

A recent FTA survey found that 50% of vans failed their first MOT at three years old. This suggests sloppy maintenance and perhaps hints that operators take a relaxed approach to other compliance issues — most notably loading.

Van hire offers a partial solution to this problem, taking maintenance and servicing out of the equation for the operator — but ultimately, complete compliance requires the willing participation of van operators and their drivers.