PCV operators among first names to join DVSA’s flagship compliance scheme; reaction good, says one
Nine PCV operators have been named by DVSA as participants in the Earned Recognition (ER) pilot scheme.
Allenby Coach Hire, Barnes Coaches, CT Plus, Lucketts Travel – and its subsidiaries Coliseum Coaches and Worthing Coaches, Stanley Travel – Reading Buses and The City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council are taking part, and each will become a fully-fledged part of ER if they complete the pilot successfully. There are also 23 goods operators in the scheme.
Highest standards
ER uses technology to prove that operators meet the highest standards. IT systems monitor a set of KPIs, and report to DVSA if any are missed. In those cases, the agency will work with the operator to rectify the issue.
In return, participants’ vehicles will not be subject to routine stops. “The pilot allows the best operators to go about their business unhindered, so we can target those most likely to be a danger,” says DVSA Chief Executive Gareth Llewellyn.
Stanley Travel Director Ian Scott says that being part of ER was “a no-brainer” for the County Durham firm, because all of its compliance data was held electronically before it enrolled.
“We were already geared up for ER and both Distinctive Systems and TruTac have been very helpful in getting it across the line. It was a relatively straightforward process to join and included a two-day audit from Lloyd Morgan. It’s important for operators to know that DVSA does not examine every nook and cranny of a business via ER; it simply wants you to meet its KPIs.”
A feather in the cap
Mr Scott adds that being part of ER acts as a feather in the cap when tendering for contracts and it is something that he would recommend to any operator.
Lucketts Travel MD Tony Lawman says that being part of ER “is testament to the exacting standards and processes that we’ve had in place for many years and how our team has embraced it as a tool to help manage our business.”
