Took RM577 for its MOT today.

It FAILED!! The handbrake performance was "well below par" on the nearside.

Acting on a suggestion from Rob Duker who takes his buses to the same MOT station, I asked them if there was a mechanic available who could book it in as a job (they have a resident mechanic who services their vans). They asked me to wait for an hour, then a mechanic made some adjustments and they retested.

Again a FAIL, but much closer, so they called the mechanic over, and he dived into the pit and made another adjustment.

Finally a PASS. And they insisted on charging me only for the initial test, and not for the retest or the mechanic's time!

Needless to say I am taking my bus to them again next year (the Royton Group in Welwyn). Small family firm, very friendly.

My bus number (if any): RM 577

John
If the vehicle remains at an approved mot test station and they carry out a repair or adjustment onit they cannot by law charge you a retest fee, they can charge for parts and time etc so it sounds jolly decent of them not to do so.
What were your figures before and after (on the axle/handbrake) and did they charge you the maximum permissable test fee £80 pound something pence or a lower figure (which they can set themselves)

Mark

My bus number (if any): Rm1414 sort of

They charged £65.

My bus number (if any): RM 577

Sounds like you got a first class deal there. I put 1001 thru an MOT a month ago (it passed) but the normal going rate for a class 5 MOT nowadays is just over £80.

My bus number (if any): RM1001

You have got a good deal John, same as what I pay at the one I frequent in very south of Manchester/Cheshire.

Mark

My bus number (if any): Rm1414 sort of

You're lucky, all I've got here is the VOSA station at Hastings. the examiner there is quite user friendly providing you can get through the bloody awful VOSA booking system.

In PSV terms there should be no excuse for a bus failing on braking problems, but then this is because of the different maintenance regimes between class 5 and class 6 vehicles where the class 6 bus must have a periodic safety check where such faults would be discovered BEFORE the test. In my view, too many folk (not only in the preservation world) use the annual test as a safety check.

The braking requirement for a Routemaster is that the handbrake must stop the rear wheels from turning!

Could I urge ALL of you to check your vehicles more regularly. Your class 5 tester can do a voluntary brake test, usually for about £15-£20 and headlamp alignment to make sure you're always safe and street legal.

BE AWARE of changes to the annual test in the near future; they will be checking operation of emergency exits, security of batteries and more. You can find the info on the VOSA website in their news sheet called Testing Times.

Lots of buses I've inspected look nice and shiny outside, but underneath shows a completely different horror story.

My bus number (if any): RML2532

It is a fair trek from the Marsh, but Lenham Garages (ie Lenham Storage) are VOSA designated premises. You can still book class 6 over the phone direct with Geoff or Andy in reception, but as usual like everywhere, August is always busy . They do NOT however do Class V at present. Vosa have just changed the testing staff from being supplied by Gillingham to now being from Canterbury. I have used Lenham for HGV tests for over 10 years and always found them very helpful.

Because the Class 6 I look after are based on the doorstep however, these go to another Designated premises in Strood/Rochester - Lakeside Motors (ASD coaches) where all my Class V go. I cannot speak too highly of them ; more than just helpful.

Fortunately attitudes have changed at Test stations since Vosa took over from the Department of Transport several yeas ago, now the ambition is to see you leave with a pass certificate, which is a change from what it used to seem like.

However I couln't agree more with my namesake about preparation; basically you are insulting the test station staff and all those passengers carried at amateur running days as well, if you turn up with a vehicle expecting them to carry out its only safety check for 12 months.

I used the place at Rochester when it opened a few years ago, very clean place and helpful staff. I wasn't aware of the Lenham designated premises. However, in these tough financial times, I can't afford the extra cost of using DPs, so keep using VOSA at Hastings.

Speaking out of hours with one of their examiners, Hastings is unlikely to close. What concerns VOSA now is the number of firms who were interested in becoming DPs now going broke, thereby leaving the country with fewer test facilities than before!

My bus number (if any): RML2532

Hang on a mo!
Just twigged that your bus should not have failed on handbrake performance because the requirement is 0 (nil)% !!
The tester has not applied the pre 1968 requirements to it (all RBT machines including VOSA's are not programmed correctly, there is no option for pre '68 class V and the pre '68 option on class VI does not have the correct figures in - it uses same as post '68.

Pre '68 requirements on a Routemaster (it has twin circuit brakes) are here;
http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/m4s03001002.htm
and note 1 says; "On vehicles first used before 1 January 1968 having a dual braking system, the parking brake must be capable of preventing at least two wheels from rotating when the vehicle is stationary. There is no specified efficiency requirement. "

However as has been suggested this is not an excuse to have poor brakes, the handbrake should be of a standard where it pulls figures on a par with the rear footbrake or better still 'locking out'

Class VI test requirement pre '68 is the same as class V or vice versa

Mark

My bus number (if any): RM1414 sort of

Correct there Mark. I usually manage to get 32% on RML2532 on my Tapley meter, and about the same on the rolling road at VOSA, well over the "specified Standards".

I'm taking RM1801 for TuV in Austria tomorrow, it'll be interesting to see how THEY manage things..a sight easier than UK standards from what I've heard!

My bus number (if any): RML2532

I never got to see the Austrian TuV, the bus wasn't ready (back lights not working) so the owner just carried on running it anyway. It seems the regs there are optional!!

But it now has a replacement gearbox and decent propshafts.

My bus number (if any): RML2532