DAF95XF,
I hope he means COIF !!!
edtheshark:
DAF95XF,I hope he means COIF !!!
OK, thats still a “whats that”? 
Certificate of Initial Fitness -
"A Public Service Vehicle (PSV) with more than 8 passenger seats (excluding the driver) cannot legally be used for carrying passengers on the highway until it has been issued with a Certificate of Initial Fitness (COIF). This includes all buses, coaches and minibuses that carry passengers for hire and reward. The COIF is issued by a VOSA certifying officer when the vehicle meets all the relevant PSV requirements.
,
There are special provisions for those manufacturers who build large numbers of identical vehicles. This is referred to as type certification. Subject to certain conditions manufacturers are permitted to have vehicles certified without having to present each vehicle for a COIF examination.
Currently most vehicles are certified in accordance with the PSV “Conditions of Fitness” Regulations. However an international bus construction directive has now been introduced which in future will apply to all buses, coaches and minibuses. This directive will eventually replace the Conditions of Fitness Regulations. "
I hope this helps!!
All correct, but here’s the rub, most stretched limos carrying more than 8 pass are illegal because they cannot obtain a COIF. Good to see VOSA taking the lead on this because these cowboys have been getting away with it for far too long mostly because taxi/psv licencing is very complex and most coppers wouldn’t understand it, many council licencing officers cannot be bothered to chase up limo operators because they see it as “not my area of responsibility” and everyone else leaves it to the local council.
Thinking way back to when we had a “prom” (of sorts) at my old school, a couple of mates rocked up in local hauliers tractor units. From what I gather, many still do, so VOSA are probably checking the O License disks in the windscreens, as well as tyre treads, tax, driver hours, etc…
tofer:
All correct, but here’s the rub, most stretched limos carrying more than 8 pass are illegal because they cannot obtain a COIF. Good to see VOSA taking the lead on this because these cowboys have been getting away with it for far too long mostly because taxi/psv licencing is very complex and most coppers wouldn’t understand it, many council licencing officers cannot be bothered to chase up limo operators because they see it as “not my area of responsibility” and everyone else leaves it to the local council.
For those with deep pockets this might be the solution, hummerzine.co.uk/
edtheshark:
DAF95XF,I hope he means COIF !!!
yep,soz fat fingers, 
tofer:
All correct, but here’s the rub, most stretched limos carrying more than 8 pass are illegal because they cannot obtain a COIF. Good to see VOSA taking the lead on this because these cowboys have been getting away with it for far too long mostly because taxi/psv licencing is very complex and most coppers wouldn’t understand it, many council licencing officers cannot be bothered to chase up limo operators because they see it as “not my area of responsibility” and everyone else leaves it to the local council.
yeh thats the law now, this is one area i wish vosa the best of luck in,the bloke i drive for ,as soon as the talks started about about this,he was the first in staffordshire to put an o licence in the window of a limo,
Have seen vosa and hmc at steam and tractor rallys a few times lately…some of the trailers and vehicles are pretty bad.
maybe they were advertising for school leavers to join up or even on the pull thinking the girls might fancy men in uniform
bit of an update -there is a story in the same local paper about VOSA at that school prom…
VOSA inspected 12 limo’s, 8 of which had problems…
1 limo was seized by VOSA at the spot check - a stretch landrover because it did not have the correct licence and was overweight 
it had just dropped the kids off 
the other 7 recieved fines for various reasons - including having no MOT and excessive window tinting
Hopefully that may enlighten Joe Public in lincolnshire as to who VOSA are and what they do, including the guy who wrote that letter to the paper saying about what a waste of tax payers cash the cops/vosa were by being there
scanny77:
MrPanther:
Talking of VOSA, I saw them today with a checkpoint they’d set-up on the A661 between Wetherby and Harrogate. Was sent out in a van today so the 7.5 ton weight restriction didn’t apply to me. I assume they were there to catch vehicles breaking the restriction? A chap at a drop told me it could be to do with the Great Yorkshire Show and drivers going that way when they shouldn’t. I have no idea, all I know is there were there.I laughed out loud; the Galaxy was pulled up in a sort of pull-off/layby thing with one official on the grass verge and then two of them sort of perched in the car boot, with the boot lid open. Dunno why; just caught me by surprise and I found it amusing.
the checkpoint at carlisle was open for business today too
It is most days. 
There is a picture on the Lorryspotting .com site of a schoolboy called Sam Roden, posing proudly in front of a Stobart waggon as he prepares to be driven in it,to give all the girls a thrill, at his school prom. (I,m not a member of LS, I just scan the "News and Views "section which is free). scroll down to the 4/7/09 bit, and there he is. 
There is no sign of the VOSA man/woman 
Prom ,or to give it the full title of Promenade is another American invention used probably for future mate selection at school leaving time. Presumably it gave the Yankee Young the opportunity to strut their stuff with their future husbands and wives, 
Niiiiiice!!
Slightly off topic but we have the HM Customs & Excise around here most days checking fuel, not so much HGV’s but cars, land rovers, vans etc. Being a rural area I suppose it’s tempting for some to use red diesel and some farmers do, they also check the fishermans vehicles. At the local agricultural show they are in the car park without fail checking cars, even seen them in the Coop car park.
Tiger
More details been released as to what VOSA found wrong with the 8 of the 12 limo’s at the spot check that had just brought the students to their prom
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A limo without a working handbrake, and insecure exhaust and a rubbing parking brake cable.
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a limo with an insecure battery lead (fire risk), defective steering and body corrosion.
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a stretch 4x4 which was overweight, with incorect tyres uncapable of carrying the weight of the vehicle, incorrect drivers licence, no insurance and no certificate of initial fiteness.
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a lincoln limo with exessively leaking exhaust and worn brake pads
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one impounded for having no insurance.
You just wouldnt think though when paying for a limo for your child/children for their special day that they may be driving round in a potential death trap. The amount your can fork out for them you would assume the limo would all legal and be in a road worthy condition 
I wonder if they would take offence if before you booked you asked to see their certifcate of inital fitness and MOT/insurance details and inspect their tyres at the same time
pecjam23:
I wonder if they would take offence if before you booked you asked to see their certifcate of inital fitness and MOT/insurance details and inspect their tyres at the same time
I’m guessing a reputable firm would have no problem with that whatsoever, the others…
Given the problems they found possibly the VOSA presence may have prevented the last dance actually being someone’s very last dance.
Potter:
My 1st thought would be to check the Limo’s that are bringing the kids to the prom?
thats exactly what they are there for. there was something in the local rag about a bunch of vosa were at keele university a few weeks ago checking these limos out, it said something like of the 12 they went over six were off the road straightaway!!!
Was there a dodgy looking Police Inspector there, with sunglasses and a phoney beard ?
Sounds like the revenge of Jeremy Beadle to me. 
In my opinion, VOSA do not do enough checks on limo companies and I speak from experience. I started this business http://www.signature-limos.co.uk in 2005 with a mate and invested £32000 in the limo.
It was a proper stretch with a UK SVA. The problems we encountered and hence lost money over, was the amount of dodgy operators putting 10 or even 12 kids in a limo designed for 8. These Lincolns even have warnings from the manufacturer not to exceed 100lbs luggage weight in the ‘trunk’ so as not to exceed max all up weight. Also, the stretch hummer or Navigator companies putting up to 20 in their vehicles. We were insured for up to 8, both of us had Newcastle upon Tyne private hire licences and CRV checks even though the city would not license the car as it was left hand drive and passengers would ‘get out onto the road side’!! There was no front passenger seat fitted! All the time it was a nightmare to operate legally, so managed to get out of it last year and sell the business to cut our losses. You cannot make money and operate these legally in my opinion.
On two occasions I contacted VOSA and Northern Traffic Commissioners regarding illegal operators and never got a reply. There are companies advertising in yellow pages offering 16 seaters!
The only legal psv’d limo’s are Lincoln Navigators which have been properly converted, with thicker glass, wider opening doors etc, but these have to comply with psv regs and have properly licensed drivers and I believe these can carry 13 passengers.
All in all, glad I am out of it and getting paid to drive my truck.
So often the legal operator goes to the wall because he pays for all the relevant tickets while the cowboys dont bother with the optional extras like insurance.I had the same bother when I ran taxis.