The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and the Vehicle Operator and Services Agency (VOSA) are to be amalgamated into a single body known as the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
The new body assumes responsibility for “setting, testing and enforcing driver and vehicle standards in Great Britain”, which, broadly speaking, means the management of driving licences, driving tests and MoT tests. The new moniker, which includes updated branding, will be gradually introduced prior to the DVSA’s formal launch in April 2014.
Current chief executive of both VOSA and the DSA, Alastair Peoples, will head up the new organisation. A total of 4600 people are employed by the agencies in the UK, and the Government has not made any suggestion that this figure will change as a result of the move.
The Government announced its plans to merge the two outgoing agencies in June 2013. Transport minister Robert Goodwill said of the move: “In June the department announced that DSA and VOSA would merge to form a new agency. This decision was made following the motoring services strategy consultation, and is a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to put customers and businesses at the heart of its services.
“The two organisations have a history of working closely together and the merger is an opportunity for the DVSA to provide even better and more efficient customer service to motorists and commercial operators. I fully support the new agency and look forward to seeing the DVSA take shape from April 2014.”
