Workshops are concerned that extending the MoT certificate’s validity from its current one-year period to a two-year period will lead to greater numbers of unroadworthy cars and create hardship for MoT testers.
The Better Regulation Commission is currently considering delaying the MoT test requirement until a car is four years old, and making the MoT test compulsory every two years thereafter. This would put testing in line with European Union minimum requirements.
John Ball, managing director of Motest UK in Aldershot, says the proposal is “madness”, and could put 15,000 testers out of work.
Two thirds of the UK’s 18,300 MoT test stations are independent garages which rely on the annual tests for about 40% of their income. Ball says the proposed changes would cost a station £35,000 on average, excluding the extra revenue generated from repairs needed to pass MoTs.
“Every year approximately 30% of vehicles fail when first presented for test. Change to two-year tests and these 8m vehicles carry dangerous faults for another year,” Ball adds.
“As an MoT testing station we see the shocking state of many vehicles tested every 12 months and are horrified that this is a serious consideration.”
The petition is at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/keeptheroadsafe.
Login to comment
Comments
No comments have been made yet.