END MOT UNCERTAINTY RMIF TELLS GOVERNMENT

‘Prolonged uncertainty over the future of the MOT is causing disquiet in the motor sector, and it must stop; the Government needs to make its intentions toward the test clear as soon as possible,’ according to Stephen Coles, Head of MOT Operations for the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF)

The Department for Transport (DfT) MOT Consultation is expected to be issued in the near future, but has already been delayed several times.

The consultation will investigate the viability of delaying the first MOT test until vehicles are four years old. They would then only be checked every two years (4-2-2). Vehicles currently receive their first MOT test at three years old, and are then re-tested annually (3-1-1).

‘Much of the MOT test sector could disappear within a year if the Government extend MOT test intervals, according to Coles.

Coles believes the move to a 4-2-2 system could leave many motor sector businesses with little or no MOT work for up to a year: ‘A move from a 3-1-1 testing programme to a 4-2-2 will mean that many cars will not need to be tested. With less custom coming through their doors, we will see thousands of MOT testing stations forced to shut down, and many thousands of qualified testers made redundant, perhaps half of all the testers in the UK.’

The structure of the MOT fee will also be examined, and potential alternatives to the current fixed upper rate will be discussed.

Coles commented: ‘There are suspicions that the Government may be considering tampering with the payment structure of the MOT test. If the fee structure were deregulated MOT testing stations could be forced into a price war that would decimate the industry. As the MOT test is a legal requirement for vehicle owners, the fallout from this for consumers could be disastrous. When motorists would need an MOT, they would be unable to get one performed, which would have a knock-on effect on their ability to tax and insure their vehicles.’