Mot catch22.
Author
Discussion

Dont Panic

Original Poster:

1,389 posts

80 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Vehicles mot expired before march 2020 as was being worked on to perform needed repairs.

Local mot station only now doing work on key workers vehicles.
Apparently I need to get an mot before I can drive it, but cant get an mot cos the stations not doing mots except for key workers.
Cars on sorn.

For reasons that elude me, vehicles needing an mot after march 2020 are exempt.
I dont get it.
If a car needs an mot what difference does it make whether or not the mot expired before or after the march 2020 date?
Ive already lost a months insurance after getting it ready to go and here we are again with this eff up.
Maybe should have just done what everyone else does and say sod it.rolleyes

echazfraz

772 posts

176 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Could you drive it somewhere less local and get it tested there instead?

Camelot1971

2,851 posts

195 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
There needed to be a cut off point, and people were given plenty of notice about the change - enough to get your car MOTed if it wasn't caught under the new legislation or for repairs to be completed in time.

There will always been exceptions but is there NO place in your area that can do an MOT? It might not be where you prefer to go, but that's tough luck. If your car is essential, for example to get food in because you don't have an alternative and walking or cycling is not practical, I'm sure a garage would treat your situation in a reasonable way.

If it's not essential, tough and you will just have to wait until things change.

Haltamer

2,671 posts

109 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
echazfraz said:
Could you drive it somewhere less local and get it tested there instead?
This seems to be the option.

Most garages near me seem to be desperately advertising on social media etc that they're still doing MOTs, and that you should come and get one despite the govt. extension, Implying they're rather dry and would be happy for the work..

Mandat

4,627 posts

267 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Dont Panic said:
Vehicles mot expired before march 2020 as was being worked on to perform needed repairs.

Local mot station only now doing work on key workers vehicles.
Apparently I need to get an mot before I can drive it, but cant get an mot cos the stations not doing mots except for key workers.
Cars on sorn.

For reasons that elude me, vehicles needing an mot after march 2020 are exempt.
I dont get it.
If a car needs an mot what difference does it make whether or not the mot expired before or after the march 2020 date?
Ive already lost a months insurance after getting it ready to go and here we are again with this eff up.
Maybe should have just done what everyone else does and say sod it.rolleyes
There has to be a cut off point on the date, and invariably someone is always going to fall just outside the cutoff whatever date is chosen.

In any case, I believe that the 6 month extension applies to cars already having a current MOT, therefore your SORNed car may not have qualified for the extension anyway.

Pre-book an MOT at a different testing station, and you can legitimately drive there whilst on SORN. Usual insurance requirements still apply.

SS2.

14,712 posts

267 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Dont Panic said:
For reasons that elude me, vehicles needing an mot after march 2020 are exempt.
An MOT expiry date of 30 March 2020 or later is extended by 6 months.

This isn't an exemption.

anonymous-user

83 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
my mums mot ran out on the 29th, there was enough notice to get it moted in time. You had work to do so couldn't and missed the deadline and that's nobody elses fault. Stop whinging and book it in somewhere else if you need to drive it.

4rephill

5,167 posts

207 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Mandat said:
.....Pre-book an MOT at a different testing station, and you can legitimately drive there whilst on SORN. Usual insurance requirements still apply.
^^^ This ^^^

(I would add: Although the actual Law doesn't state it, common sense would say to only drive the vehicle to another MOT station if it's not blatantly un-roadworthy, such as having no brakes, no front wings, no rear lights etc., etc.)

BertBert

21,260 posts

240 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
4rephill said:
(I would add: Although the actual Law doesn't state it, common sense would say to only drive the vehicle to another MOT station if it's not blatantly un-roadworthy, such as having no brakes, no front wings, no rear lights etc., etc.)
Why would you go to an MoT with a blatantly un-roadworthy car?

Dont Panic

Original Poster:

1,389 posts

80 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Mandat said:
.

In any case, I believe that the 6 month extension applies to cars already having a current MOT, therefore your SORNed car may not have qualified for the extension anyway.

Yes it does, but if a current mot runs out tomorrow the cars then got no mot and is still being driven.
Why the need for a vehicle prior to the march date to have one just because it was off road and sorned?
So long as its roadworthy theres no issue surely?
Apart from the ridiculous law aspect.
Thats where Im having an issue.

BertBert

21,260 posts

240 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Dont Panic said:
Yes it does, but if a current mot runs out tomorrow the cars then got no mot and is still being driven.
Why the need for a vehicle prior to the march date to have one just because it was off road and sorned?
So long as its roadworthy theres no issue surely?
Apart from the ridiculous law aspect.
Thats where Im having an issue.
But it's not an issue as there are plenty of places doing MoTs surely?
Surely also you can see the problem of what you are suggesting which would allow many people far less diligent than you to unsorn any old crap and drive around in it.

Oceanrower

1,359 posts

141 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
4rephill said:
^^^ This ^^^

(I would add: Although the actual Law doesn't state it, common sense would say to only drive the vehicle to another MOT station if it's not blatantly un-roadworthy, such as having no brakes, no front wings, no rear lights etc., etc.)
Just to be pedantic, no lights is not an MOT fail...

(Though, admittedly, if it was just the rear lights, it would...)

Pothole

34,367 posts

311 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
BertBert said:
4rephill said:
(I would add: Although the actual Law doesn't state it, common sense would say to only drive the vehicle to another MOT station if it's not blatantly un-roadworthy, such as having no brakes, no front wings, no rear lights etc., etc.)
Why would you go to an MoT with a blatantly un-roadworthy car?
So the tester can tell you the bare minimum needed to make it so?

SS2.

14,712 posts

267 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Dont Panic said:
Yes it does, but if a current mot runs out tomorrow the cars then got no mot and is still being driven.
That's not correct - the vehicle would still have an MOT because its expiry date had been extended by 6 months.

Dont Panic said:
Why the need for a vehicle prior to the march date to have one just because it was off road and sorned?
They needed a start date for the extensions - they settled on 30/03/2020.

Dont Panic said:
So long as its roadworthy theres no issue surely?
You would be driving a vehicle without a valid MOT - a small fine, not endorsable. Chances of being nabbed and it being taken further ? Who knows, maybe minimal at the moment, maybe not.

Dont Panic said:
Apart from the ridiculous law aspect.
It's not ridiculous, and it's very easy to achieve compliance.

Dont Panic

Original Poster:

1,389 posts

80 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
BertBert said:
But it's not an issue as there are plenty of places doing MoTs surely?
Surely also you can see the problem of what you are suggesting which would allow many people far less diligent than you to unsorn any old crap and drive around in it.
Of the ones ive looked at today, 5 are closed the other 6 so far are saying key workers only.
Will have to keep looking.

The sorn thing could apply to any vehicle whose mot has just expired though surely, plenty of crappers out there even if they dont look it.
Im born to suffer! laugh


Dont Panic

Original Poster:

1,389 posts

80 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
SS2. said:
Dont Panic said:
Yes it does, but if a current mot runs out tomorrow the cars then got no mot and is still being driven.
That's not correct - the vehicle would still have an MOT because its expiry date had been extended by 6 months.

Dont Panic said:
Why the need for a vehicle prior to the march date to have one just because it was off road and sorned?
They needed a start date for the extensions - they settled on 30/03/2020.

Dont Panic said:
So long as its roadworthy theres no issue surely?
You would be driving a vehicle without a valid MOT - a small fine, not endorsable. Chances of being nabbed and it being taken further ? Who knows, maybe minimal at the moment, maybe not.

Dont Panic said:
Apart from the ridiculous law aspect.
It's not ridiculous, and it's very easy to achieve compliance.
Thanks for that! beer

Jazoli

9,649 posts

279 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Dont Panic said:
Of the ones ive looked at today, 5 are closed the other 6 so far are saying key workers only.
Will have to keep looking.
Just tell them you are a key worker then, how can they possibly check?

My work classes me as a 'key worker' although I'm not really I'm just keeping the buildings secure and stopping the animals live-in staff from destroying the place.

quinny100

1,013 posts

215 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Kwik Fit are still open for MOT's - no requirement to be a key worker.

coldel

11,101 posts

175 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Do you need it for work, is it essential? As it was off the road, I presume you were managing without it for some time, has the alternative form of transport been taken away? Ultimately, we are in unprecedented times, things are being set up to try and help people through - your car was SORN'd so am assuming its a second or even third car? Appreciate it might be annoying that government policy is getting in the way, but unless this is severely affecting your quality of life i.e. unable to work or unable to get food because its not MOT'd, it really is probably way down the list of priorities for the government in terms of setting policy.

TwigtheWonderkid

49,045 posts

179 months

Thursday 30th April 2020
quotequote all
Dont Panic said:
For reasons that elude me, vehicles needing an mot after march 2020 are exempt.
I dont get it.
If a car needs an mot what difference does it make whether or not the mot expired before or after the march 2020 date?
Because the whole point of the exercise was to extend the MOT on cars that had one, not to grant an MOT to cars that didn't.

Your car didn't have an MOT because it needed work doing to get one. And you expect to be given an MOT without anyone qualified actually seeing the work. rofl

That's not quite the same as an a car with a valid MOT having the expiry date extended.

Ffs!!!!