Page 32 - National Express_ GMStands

2.1 Rectification of Defects

Each Group Company must, as part of the vehicle safety inspection policy, have a documented policy on
requirements for rectification of defects. Identified defects must be assessed and rectified accordingly
depending on severity and risk, as defined below:

Defects that fall below minimum legal requirements must be rectified immediately, and in all cases
before the vehicle is released for service. Examples would include where brake performance is not met
or local or state minimum requirements are not achieved.
Defects that pose any safety risks must be rectified immediately, and in all cases before the vehicle is
released for service. This must include any vehicle system which has an amber or red warning light
illuminated, for example ABS faults. Fuel leaks are not to be tolerated and must be repaired.
Defects that affect the customer experience in an adverse way must be prioritised, such as poor
standard of interior cleaning, mixed upholstery patterns, defective USB sockets etc.

Group Companies may record items on the inspection sheet that are not defined as defects requiring
immediate repair, which may be advisory in nature. If these are not considered to be defects they may be
signed off as serviceable and noted accordingly, for example, “order brake discs and pads for next
inspection”.
Some defects will require additional inspection of a more detailed nature in order to determine their
serviceability, for example shrouded brake pads which are not fully visible to the inspector without stripping
or application of a software tool. These defects, once investigated, and signed off as serviceable are not to
be included in the “defect count KPI’s”, discussed in section 6.0.

2.2 Defect Deferral

Each Group Company must ensure they have a written policy that details the criteria for deferral of defects.
As a minimum this policy will be aligned to legislative requirements regarding roadworthiness (or
prohibitable) defects, statutory annual test failure items (or equivalent) and safety defects. In short, where
defects affect the roadworthiness or safety of the vehicle they must not be deferred.

Where defects are deferred they must be subject to repair or replacement, except for locally agreed
circumstances, within the next vehicle safety inspection period or at the next inspection.

Any policy must include a process to record and track deferred defects with the original date the defect was
reported.

3.0 Vehicle Safety Inspection Sign off & Roadworthiness

Any Group Company policy that covers vehicle safety inspection must include a clear description, with
defined levels of responsibility, for vehicle sign off and declaration of roadworthiness.

Documentation, or systems, used to record vehicle safety inspections, must include a declaration of
roadworthiness and be signed, with traceability, by an authorised person. Vehicles must not be released
for service until this sign off has taken place.

Global Maintenance Standard: Vehicle Safety Inspection 9