Base says: “The SMMT is involved in many discussions both at ministerial and EU level and it is only by representing the views of everyone that we will be heard.

“We must get rid of the old white van man image and present ourselves as a highly professional body.

"If we don’t regulate ourselves then the Government or the EU will do it for us and that will affect both us as manufacturers and your readers as fleet operators.”

Nigel Base on...

MOTs

One of the SMMT’s major concerns is the low first MOT test pass rate of 3.5-tonne gross vehicle weight vans, which was reported recently as 50%.

Nigel Base says: “This failure rate is not acceptable and we must all work to improve it.”

The problem stems from the fact that most vans can now be driven 25,000 miles between services, meaning that unless vehicles are checked regularly, items such as brake pads and discs and light bulbs may perish in between times.

Base says: “Most of the faults are easily fixed and should be picked up either by drivers or fleet managers on regular checks.”

The HGV industry suffered a similar problem some years ago and after a major campaign by all representative groups, the figure is down to 35%.

But, Base says: “Many LCV fleet operators see their vans as big cars and operate them as such – and that just doesn’t work.

“Vans should be inspected regularly and small items fixed on the spot. I would like to see vans MoT tested from their first year, not from the third year as at present.

"Bearing in mind the high mileages many of them do, I believe that is the right way to go.”

O-licences and tachographs

For several years now, Eurocrats have been threatening to introduce O-licences and tachographs for vans under 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight, a move which would have a massive impact on the UK van fleet industry.

Indeed this threat was one of the major reasons why the FTA introduced its Van Excellence programme last year.

So is such a momentous piece of legislation likely?

Base says: “O-licences for vans have been on the horizon for some time now.

"The EU sees van operators as a soft target. This sort of legislation comes along with shorter driver hours and mandatory speed limiters and we can all feel the noose tightening.

“However, I believe if this did happen it would not be such a bad thing for the industry – it would certainly raise the professionalism of UK van fleets, although they would have to adapt and change their operations quite drastically.”

Base also believes that there should be a separate driving test for 3.5-tonne vans.

Whole vehicle type approval

On the EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA) rules for 3.5-tonne vans which take effect on April 29 2013, Base says: “What this will mean is that a lot of the smaller converters will just disappear, which in turn means that there will be less choice for van fleet operators.

“There will be a massive upheaval but at the end of the day fleets will get a more professional service, although potentially more costly.”

As Fleet Van went to press, the SMMT announced it had won concessions so that WVTA would not be necessary for basic conversions.