Growth continues at the BVRLA as sector remains resilient

Temporary changes to inspections

With face-to-face inspections suspended following the outbreak of Covid-19, the BVRLA has made some temporary changes to the leasing broker, commercial vehicle and rental member inspections, which form part of the association’s governance programme.

Leasing Broker inspections

Face-to-face on-site visits were suspended in April 2020 and have been replaced by a remote audit.

The same content is looked at and there is no change to the quality of the follow-up reports or support and guidance provided post inspection. first receive a letter from the BVRLA providing notice that an inspection is due. CCAS will contact members in advance to arrange a suitable time and date to have a call. Prior to this, they will request a number of documents to be sent via email, which will be reviewed as part of the inspection.

For those members who have received a visit before, the format should feel very familiar. Members will

Remote inspections will continue until it is safe to return to on-site visits.

Rental and CV inspections

BVRLA inspections have been temporarily suspended.

Due to the level of physical points that need inspecting, a remote inspection is not suitable for rental and commercial vehicle members. Many areas of the inspection cannot be carried out remotely so inspections will continue to be on hold until it is safe to return to on-site visits. u

Ask Adam

Send your questions about the BVRLA inspection programme to Senior Compliance Officer Adam Holt at adam@bvrla.co.uk.

Q: I have been contacted to say I that am due a leasing broker inspection this year.

Will this be the same as my last one?

A: The leasing broker inspection is designed to ensure that members are adhering to a minimum standard set by the BVRLA Code of Conduct and are compliant with any regulatory requirements as outlined by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our inspectors may carry out certain checks that have been done before during previous inspections. Additional checks will also take place if new requirements have been introduced since your previous visit. SM&CR is a good example as this as this regime only came into effect in December 2019. Other new checks could relate to financial crime and knowing your customer, for example. Following inspection, we can provide support on how to address any identified improvements.

Q: Are there any new areas that I should be aware of for my branch visit this year?

A: Rental inspections will include several new checks this year, including checking compliance with the government’s Rental Vehicle Security Scheme, process and safety checking of car seats, reporting suspicious behaviours, ICO registration checks, refuelling charges and live customer observations. There will also be some new questions looking at First Aid, PAT Testing and Environmental Waste Transfer. u