Jonathon Backhouse presents radical changes for UK vehicle operators at The Movers and Storers Show.
Changes to the way the UK’s Driver and Vehicle Standards Authority (DVSA) carries out inspections of ‘O’ licence holders’ maintenance records and procedures, were brought sharply into focus by solicitor Jonathon Backhouse during his presentation at The Movers & Storers Show on 3 November. Jonathon explained in his usual entertaining, yet pragmatic style, how in December 2020 the rather casual, sometimes cosy arrangements that had been in place for over forty years, were replaced with the much more formal and far-reaching Maintenance Investigation Visit Report (MIVR). Worryingly, many operators seem blissfully unaware of MIVR and risk heavy penalties and even the loss of their operator’s licence if their standards are not considered to be up to scratch.
Jonathon said, “Under the old system the DVSA inspector used a two-page form called a PG13 F&G, which was basically a box-ticking exercise and provided no feedback to the operator. It was usually a very casual arrangement and often influenced by how well the operator got on with the examiner. The operator never saw the form, which was handed straight to the traffic commissioner, who then may or may not decide to call the transport manager in for a hearing if there were items of concern.”
The new MIVR form runs to ten pages and there is a 46-page guide explaining how to fill it in and how the inspection will be scored ...
Photo: Jonathon Backhouse, Backhouse Jones Solicitors.