Roads Safety Minister Stephen Hammond announced today that the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and Driving Standards Agency (DSA), are to merge into a single agency. This will bring their testing and standards services together. 

Alastair peoples VOSA Chief Executive, will become Chief Executive for both agencies. He will oversee their strategic operations towards a full merger over the next twelve months. 

Rosemary Thew, DSA Chief Executive, will be stepping down and leaving the Civil Service on 30 June 2013. She had been considering moving on for private and personal reasons for some time. The creation of a single agency replacing DSA and VOSA was the right time to do so.

Commenting on the announcement, Alastair Peoples said: 

“I welcome the opportunity of working with both agencies to bring together the vital road safety services we provide.  The aim of combining the two agencies is to remove duplication of functions, improve efficiency and give our customers a simpler framework of agencies in which to work with. I will now begin the process of working with staff and stakeholders to develop proposals to combine the work of VOSA and DSA. We will continue to provide a quality service and the same level of professionalism while taking forward this work”.