February 2021

“Any tester who has not completed their Annual Training by 30 April will be suspended from testing, which could cause significant business disruption. It is likely that obtaining an appointment for a VT8, plus the additional training that will need to be completed, may be delayed if demand is high and social distancing rules continue to limit the places available on courses.” Frank added: “To some extent 2021 will be business as normal, but in the current predicament the country finds itself in, we can no longer expect everything to be normal.” Demand curve Commenting on the ongoing impact of last year’s MOT exemption, Adam White, Workshop Solutions Director at LKQ Euro Car Parts said: “It will likely be several years before the traditional MOT demand curve – in line with peak new vehicle registrations in March – is restored. Those vehicles with MOTs that were deferred in 2020 will continue to be tested in autumn and winter for the rest of their lifetimes.” He continued: “With MOTs now spread throughout the year, alongside other service, maintenance and repair work, it is crucial for garages to have a team of technicians with diverse skillsets, who can turn their hands to whatever comes in, safely, effectively and to a high standard.” Another area where the pandemic has led to changes around the MOT concerns training. In December, DVSA confirmed that the MOT Annual Training deadline would shift back a W hile the testing backlog resulting from the MOT Exemption is being worked through now, MOT stations face a host of challenges as 2021 goes on. Looking at the ongoing rollout of connected equipment, GEA Chief Executive Julian Woods said: “The DVSA are still planning on expanding its programme of connected MOT equipment during 2021 despite the current lockdown. This started in 2019 with connected roller brake testers, and was then shortly followed by connected decelerometers from February 2020. “The first lockdown starting from March 2020 led to the postponement of all MOT tests for six months and this included the planned roll-out of connected emissions testing equipment. The current plans, which may still change due to the third national lockdown, is that new appointments to the MOT scheme will require connected emission testing equipment that includes gas analysers, smoke opacity meters or combi emission units from 1 March 2021. “Several emission equipment manufacturers and suppliers have already had their equipment validated against the connected requirements and have been granted approval. Check out gea.co.uk website for a full and latest list of DVSA approved connected equipment including the new connected emission units. “A secondary advantage of investing in connected MOT test equipment is that many equipment companies have started offering remote support and updates.” Julian added: “As we move forward in 2021, the impact on last year’s exemption will still be felt. It is estimated that in April, the demand for MOT will go down by some 80% of normal. This will make April and May an opportune time to upgrade and update your MOT bay and ensure your MOT testers have completed all their mandatory training.” Frank Harvey, Head of Member Services at the IGA, observed: “2021 32 AFTERMARKET FEBRUARY 2021 MOT www.aftermarketonline.net KEEPING UP WITH THE CHANGES The MOT saw many changes during 2020, and as we enter 2021, how are garages going to stay ahead? is likely to present many challenges for MOT stations. The MOT Exemption is likely to show its full impact as we go into the second quarter of 2021, but what we can’t predict is how many customers that benefitted from it will choose to preserve the original anniversary of their MOT. “Another knock-on effect is the extension of the MOT Tester Annual Training year, moved from 31 March to 30 April. We have received a significant number of inquiries asking if MOT Tester training, and the Annual Assessment, are continuing in the recent national lockdowns. As a MOT tester effectively needs a licence to practice, both initial training and assessments for MOT testers and MOT Centre Managers can indeed continue throughout the lockdowns, as can the Annual Assessments.” Commenting on the offering via the RMI Academies, Frank said: “Our own centres are open but places are limited due to social distancing, so any MOT tester who is yet to complete their 2020-2021 Annual Training should book as soon as possible. We also offer workbook and e-learning options as a way of making the required Annual Training wholly accessible. “It’s also worth pointing out here that the pass mark is now 80% for the Annual Assessment, so it is likely that some time will need to be invested in pre-training to ensure success. Don’t forget to log any time spent training as this will count towards the 16 hours required within a five-year period.