DVSA has announced the digital maintenance reporting requirements for its Earned Recognition scheme have changed.
Earned recognition operators, or those seeking to join the scheme, will not need to have one single fully digital maintenance reporting system by 1 April 2022.
The requirement to go fully digital in April 2022 was set at the pilot stage of the scheme and while the ambitions for fully integrated digital reporting remain, the deadline has been removed.
The changes have been made following consultation with Earned Recognition members, operators outside the scheme and IT suppliers.
The Earned Recognition scheme will now allow operators to choose validated reporting methods best suited to their operation.This means operators will be able to use a mixture of manual maintenance and vehicle systems alongside digital reporting, as well as the use of more than one electronic system to collect data.
Operators on the scheme will still need digital reporting systems for drivers’ hours and tachograph data, as they have previously. The performance standards they must meet for the scheme also remain the same.
The Earned Recognition team is said to be satisfied with the range of methods in place for maintenance reporting. The scheme management believe operators on the scheme and those with pending applications can prove they are maintaining the highest standards of road safety compliance with these changes.
By listening to the industry and offering a wider range of maintenance reporting options, DVSA hopes the voluntary and free to join Earned Recognition scheme will be more accessible to operators of all sizes.
Laura Great-Rex, Head of Enforcement Relationship Management, said: “We recognise that obstacles were preventing operators from joining the scheme, and have addressed them, making Earned Recognition more accessible. Our priority is ensuring safety and compliance on Britain’s roads.
“The more members of the Earned Recognition scheme we have, the more industry leaders we have demonstrating their exemplar safety standards on our roads.
“This transparency allows for our enforcement activity to be focused on the serially non-compliant operators, helping us better protect people from unsafe drivers and vehicles.”
