BVRLA News
www.bvrla.co.uk October/November 2012
The newsletter of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association
‘Chaos’ fear for van fleets over Euro-plans for whole vehicle type approval There are fears that the introduction of European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) regulations for light vans next spring could cause chaos for BVRLA members.
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From 29 April 2013, light commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes will come into scope of ECWVTA and will therefore require additional approval for any modifications made to them.
to identify, agree and publish a list of modifications that would be seen as having no impact on a vehicle’s original type approval. However, there is still a great deal of uncertainty as to what modifications could be ‘blanket approved’. There are also worries that converters and body-builders will require a thorough understanding of the scope of new type approval for vans and the impact of any modifications. “Our members are already planning for fleet requirements well into 2013, so we are working closely with the VCA and with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA), who will police the regulations, to avoid delays or additional costs from arising next year,” said BVRLA chief executive John Lewis.
Is permission required? Working vans need modifications like protective ply-lining
Given that almost all panel vans will have some additional modification to equip them for service, whether it is ply-lining, racking, lamp beacons or rear steps, the BVRLA is concerned that any such changes could result in each vehicle being individually reinspected, tested and approved. At the BVRLA’s recent Technical and Operational Management Forum, the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) presented details of a ‘light touch’ approval scheme for the more common vehicle modifications, to reduce the burden on fleets, test centres and inspectors. It has agreed to continue to work with the BVRLA
“While the VCA’s ‘light touch’ proposal is a step in the right direction, there are still too many unanswered questions and we are very concerned that the system will not be able to cope with this potential new surge in type approval testing. This could have a major effect on lead times for fleet van operators, who need to get to grips with the potential time and cost implications involved.” Rental and leasing companies must also make sure that they are kept informed of any modifications their customers make to their vehicles. They could do this by adding a clause to this effect to their rental and leasing contracts. n Further information can be found in Whole Vehicle Type Approval (BVRLA Fact Sheet 577), which can be downloaded from the BVRLA website: www.bvrla.co.uk
In this issue BVRLA publishes directory of members Our new directory details our corporate, leasing broker and associate members – and it’s free to download page 3 Toeing the commercial vehicle testing line VOSA has warned that MOT failure rates for vans are likely to rise next year with the introduction of tougher EU testing standards page 4 Revised code for leasing brokers The BVRLA has issued a new code of conduct and guidance for leasing brokers to strengthen industry standards page 6 BVRLA emphasises road safety role Police and MPs have joined the BVRLA in calling for the government to work harder on road safety page 7 RISC Online: there’s safety in numbers The RISC Online database details over 9,000 ‘problem renters’ – and saves users from an awful lot of grief page 9
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