A well-established partnership between Fife College and Fife Council has produced a rise in road safety standards in the region due in part to the adoption of the irtec licence.
Fife College has been delivering irtec accreditations to a range of private and local authority commercial vehicle operators since 2013. A close working relationship with Fife Council has resulted in over 40 of its HGV technicians achieving ‘Inspection Technician’ accreditation status.
Martin MacKenzie, Automotive Engineering Lecturer at Fife College, said: “Delivery of the irtec Inspection Technician accreditation has shown me that technicians really benefit from gaining a greater knowledge of the legislative aspects of HGV operation.
“An understanding of the regulatory requirements placed on the operator lets technicians better appreciate the importance of their role and the inspection standards required,” he added.
Fife Council has also adopted the irtec standard and is recording tangible benefits from the licence that demonstrates a commitment to road safety through improved inspection standards. It has seen MOT first time pass rates improve to 98%, and the Operational Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) lowering to 1.10. Staff have embraced this training which is giving them the confidence to develop and progress professionally.
“As a local authority operating commercial vehicles within Fife’s communities, vehicle safety will always be our overriding concern and the irtec accreditation, along with other measures, helps us to improve this further,” said Tom Henderson, Service Manager Fleet Operations, Fife Council.