Approved Tachograph Centres fees consultation

Views sought on proposed changes to the fee structure to enable ATCs to receive a fair fee for the work they do.

The Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA), an agency of the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), has launched a consultation on changing the fees charged by Approved Tachograph Centres (ATCs).

Tachographs fitted in goods vehicles, buses and coaches record information about drivers' driving time, breaks and rest times, as well as time spent by the driver doing other work. They are used to ensure that drivers and employers follow the rules on drivers’ hours to safeguard road safety and ensure fair competition.

Tachographs can only be installed, checked, repaired and calibrated by an ATC. There are currently 29 ATCs spread across Northern Ireland. Modern tachographs are calibrated every two years, and may, on occasion, require additional attention between calibration periods.

ATCs provide obligatory tachograph calibration services for in-scope heavy goods vehicles and buses on behalf of DfI. DVA regulates the maximum fees which ATCs can charge for checks and calibrations. These fees have not been increased for around 17 years, and the cost of providing the service has increased significantly in that time - so much that calibrations are currently being conducted at a loss in some instances.

The consultation proposes changes to the fee structure to prevent a reduction or loss of service and to enable ATCs to receive a fair fee for the work they do.

Find out more about the consultation and how to respond.

First published 22 August 2023