GEARBOX SPECIALISTS

SPECIALIST REPAIRS FOR AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL GEARBOXES

FIRST ACTION OF NEW AGENCY

This month sees the launch of the new Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, which will incorporate the old Driving Standards Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. Their first action is to make the names of those MOT test centres, stripped of their status due to disciplinary action, available to the public. They will also provide a monthly e-mail updating motorists who are interested, which will provide all of the garage details, as well as why they were removed.

 

 

Benefits to Motorists

Hopefully this will provide a couple of benefits to the average motorist. Firstly it will mean making an informed decision becomes easier, secondly it will make garages aware that any indiscretions could be put in to the public domain. In theory this should encourage garages to maintain a high level of service, although we are sure there will always be the odd one that doesn’t care, this scheme has the potential to have a large enough impact to put these garages out of business.

How it’s enforced

They will respond to complaints from the public relating to specific garages. In addition to this they will continue with the mystery customer operation, where an employee of the DVSA will take a car for an MOT already knowing what the faults are. They will then judge the mechanics ability to spot these faults, whilst not creating non-existent problems to inflate the bill.

Will it make a difference?

Only time will tell if this has a positive impact for motorists. Usually when the Government merges agencies it is to cut back on staff numbers and running costs, which ultimately means less man hours can be spent dealing with enquiries etc. Hopefully this one will provide the benefits the Government are promising, and in a very loose sense, give small garages that have been prone to dubious activities in the past enough incentive to look after all of there customers.