Aftermarket July/August 2022 Issue

T wo years on, the impact of the MOT Exemption is still being felt, and businesses with MOT Testing Stations are having to deal with shifting work patterns through the year, while also making sure training requirements continue to be met. If that’s not enough, the government has also made noises about reducing the frequency of the test again recently, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggesting that making the MOT biennial could help with the cost of living crisis. With the DVSA continuing the move over to connected equipment too, there is a lot to think about. Agile nature IGA Head of Member Services Frank Harvey said: “MOT stations and garage businesses in general are not exempt from change, however both are adept at dealing with it due to the agile nature of the independent garage business model. “Global events over the last two and a half years have caused fluctuations in business demand and economic pressures, so businesses have had to take stock. Whilst the ebb and flow of demand for MOTs created by the exemption at the beginning of the pandemic will take several years to even itself out, most have already come to terms with how this is impacting their business. “The DVSA have been looking to automate various aspects of the MOT, utilising connected equipment in an effort to reduce input errors and avoid duplication. They are also looking to utilise smartphone technology and automatic number plate recognition to aid vehicle identification and further reduce the impact of input errors. “The MOT Tester Annual Training pass mark remains at 80% for this year, and there is also talk of introducing training and assessment for Authorised Examiner Designated Managers (AEDMs). This will ensure that MOT stations operate to the highest standards possible and that the managers responsible for overseeing the test quality management of Stations are also up to date and aware of their responsibilities.” False economy These are all requirements that most MOT Testing Stations will be aware of, and thus will be planning to deal with. 48 AFTERMARKET JULY/AUGUST 2022 MOT www.aftermarketonline.net However, a few weeks ago, the concept of reducing the frequency of the MOT was revisited by government, which came as something of a surprise. Frank observed: “With the recent cost of living increases and growing economic pressures, there has been much chatter of the ‘leak’ that said the government is considering, yet again, extending the period between MOTs to two years, in the misguided belief that this will save motorists money. “Those of us within the motor trade are all too aware of the false economy of such a move. On a daily basis, we come across vehicles that have been neglected between the annual MOT in order to save money, only to face a much larger bill than would have been the case had early preventative maintenance been carried out. Such cost increase would likely be compounded if the period between MOTs were to be extended.” Frank added: “As you would expect, the IGA have already written to the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, to which we received a very standard response confirming that any change to MOT requirements would require legislatives TESTING TIMES The ongoing after-effects of the MOT exemption are still being felt, just as the government is considering reducing the frequency of the test