During the COVID-19 lockdown, ATF annual test inspections were stopped and temporary measures for prohibition removals were put in place. However, this has now changed and from 28 September 2020, all ‘S’ marked prohibitions that cannot be removed at the roadside will need to be inspected by DVSA at an ATF.

If the vehicle is being used with a certificate of temporary exemption or the annual test certificate is over 6 months old, the vehicle will be referred for a full removal inspection. A new annual test certificate will be issued with the removal notice once a pass result is achieved.

Vehicles with an annual test certificate less than 6 months old will be referred for a partial inspection, where a removal notice will be issued.

Prohibitions issued for an annual test dangerous fail or police issued prohibitions will be removed through the usual process of a DVSA inspection at the ATF.

Removal inspections for all other items will continue to be done at the roadside or by the Remote Enforcement Office (REO).You will be given guidance at the time the prohibition is issued on how to clear it. If unsatisfactory evidence is provided to the REO the vehicle may be referred for an ATF inspection.

It has often been reported that around 80% of roadside prohibitions due to roadworthiness could have been avoided if a satisfactory vehicle safety check had taken place before the vehicle departed. But how can operators be sure their drivers' actually do it? The answer is to use a vehicle check app on a mobile device such as SmartCheck to replace the traditional paper-based book used to record walk-around checks. Data from the check is captured in real-time without the errors and delays of having to type data from forms when they are eventually returned to the depot. The time, duration and location of the check is recorded to give Transport Managers the confidence that the check took place and any issues recorded can be dealt with in a timely fashion.

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Source DVSA.