Row erupts over MoT testing
Yearly tests must stay, say small garages, or bad things will happen
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has taken umbrage at the Chancellor Gordon Brown's recent description of annual MoT testing as "little more than red tape" and his suggestion that it could be changed to once every two years. The IGA said this would be "seriously misguided and would be disastrous for MOT testing stations", arguing that it would cost motorists more in the long run, as well as being bad for the environment.
The Chancellor made his remarks in a speech to the CBI yesterday. It follows the publication of a report, Risk Responsibility and Regulation, by the Better Regulation Commission (see link below) which questioned whether, because today's cars are safer and more reliable, it would be sensible to push back the first year of testing to the fourth year.
IGA director Ray Holloway said: "So-called red tape aside, the case for change does not stack up in several crucial areas, namely safety, environmental and cost. The UK has one of the best road safety records in Europe, thanks to the annual MOT test for older vehicles.
"Newer vehicles require similar attention in order to maintain safe standards: in fact, Government figures state that around 18 per cent of them fail their first MOT test after three years. With the current annual test comfortably in place, the MOT failure rate is over 30 per cent: that’s almost eight million defective vehicles detected because they must go through this rigorous procedure. Imagine, around 50 per cent of all vehicles could be unfit for road use if only tested every two years.
"Another negative outcome will be a detrimental effect on environmental targets. Around 15 per cent of vehicles tested now fail a MOT because they do not meet emissions requirements: testing every two years can only lead to more seriously polluting vehicles staying longer on UK roads before being detected.
"Also, the Chancellor’s words seem worryingly premature; the Department for Transport (DFT) is to consult all interested parties during 2007 on whether roadworthiness testing of our vehicles should be done less frequently, with an assumption that this would save motorists money. We very much doubt this in the long-term. If older vehicles are not checked annually, this may lead to more expensive long-standing problems for owners.
"The Treasury may even pick up a sizeable cost as this two-year proposal would be utterly disastrous for technicians employed as MOT testers. The business owners at the sharp end -- many of them small or medium-sized in rural areas -- would lose vital income and may not survive. What supportive message is this sending out to a UK economy already groaning under Government interference?
"The IGA is in discussion with both the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) and the DFT on the appalling implications for the vehicle owners - as well as the MOT testing sector - should the Government’s unrealistic plan be seriously considered."
Ironically, there's an acknowlegement that cars are getting safer which is ignored whenever speed limits are discussed....
With servicing intervals being pushed to ever longer limits by the car leasing industry this is even more serious.
People rightly or wrongly need the MOT to ensure that at least once a year their vehicle is roadworthy.
Has he passed his test?
Has he ever owned a car?
...
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