Larne test centre receives top quality award

Management and staff of the Driver & Vehicle Testing Agency’s Larne Test Centre have received a top award in recognition of their achievements from Environment Minister Dermot Nesbitt today.

The centre, which was awarded the Quality Management Award BSEN ISO 9001:2000 for the Practical Driving Test, is the first Test Centre in the UK to receive the International ISO standard for the practical driving test and only the third centre in Europe to achieve this award.

Congratulating the Agency for its continuous commitment to improving quality, Mr Nesbitt said: “The work of the Agency in testing drivers and vehicles is an essential element of my department’s Road Safety and environmental strategies. Applying quality standards to the driving test procedures helps to ensure the standard and compliance of drivers on our roads.”

Expressing his delight for the Larne staff who achieved this award DVTA, Chief Executive, Brian Watson said: “The Quality Management Standard is the International standard that provides an organisation with the framework to deliver the quality that customers expect. The standard focuses on the effective delivery of customer services through effective measured processes being in place operated by well-trained staff.”

The Driver & Vehicle Testing Agency has already been successful in achieving a number of Quality Awards including the Charter Mark, Northern Ireland Quality Awards, the UK TNT Modernising Government Awards and Investors in People accreditation.

The Agency employs some 450 staff and operates from 15 test centres, two driving test centres and six theory test centres throughout NI.

In 2001/2002 it carried out 470,000 vehicle tests, 37,000 theory tests and almost 48,000 practical driving tests.

(GMcG)