A Lichfield company has installed a landmark test lane to help keep its vehicles on the road – and give drivers of larger vehicles the chance to get an MOT closer to home.
Bullwell Trailer Solutions Ltd, based on Burton Road, unveiled its new Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) – the 100th Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) approved test lane in the UK – at its city headquarters this week.
The ATF, built at a cost of £173,000, will allow VOSA representatives to test up to three HGVs in the 1.6 deep, 18m long, pit at any one time.
Bullwell’s facility, the first ATF in the Lichfield area, will be open for bookings from members of the public with larger vehicles such as camper vans and trailers too.
However, by installing an in-house test lane, Bullwell anticipates savings of £60,000 a year across the 5,000 strong fleet of HGVs that are serviced and maintained by the company.
The company’s managing director Gary Bulley said:
“With the VOSA site ceasing testing at Garretts Green in east Birmingham, it made both financial and environmental sense to introduce a significant test lane facility on site at our Lichfield headquarters. More tests than ever before are being carried out by VOSA staff at privately owned facilities, reducing the time and money incurred transporting large fleets such as our own to government operated test sites.
“Since establishing our business in 2007, our entire philosophy has been based on ensuring that the HGV trailers we maintain under contract undergo minimal movement. This creates the most practical and economical solution for trailer repairs, maintenance, and now testing, whilst reducing our carbon footprint and that of our customers.”
Trailers and HGVs are required to be inspected on a regular basis to comply with operator licensing and road safety commitments.
The growth in ATFs has been fuelled by VOSA’s drive to reduce the burden on industry and take testing to the customer as part of its Testing Transformation Programme (TTP), which aims to ensure that testing is carried out at or near where vehicles are maintained.
Alistair Peoples, Chief Executive of VOSA, added:
“I’m really pleased to see the 100th test lane facility in the country now open for business in Lichfield. Bullwell’s testing bay will help us meet our target to open 75 new non-VOSA sites across the UK by the end of this financial year.
“It shows that the industry has confidence in the changes we are implementing to the system, and that ATFs are the way forward. We have been working tremendously hard to provide an efficient, modern service for our customers which delivers convenient, high quality testing, whilst reducing costs, down-time and mileage.”
To contact Bullwell regarding booking the ATF, call 0845 602 4130.