All eyes have been on the MOT in recent months, with the recent government consultation that looked at options for its future crystallising the importance of the test in the collective mind of the sector. Potential outcomes discussed included the perennial proposed shift to a 4-1-1 or 4-2-2 rotation, along with a number of other amendments, some sensible, and some controversial. IGA Head of Member Services Frank Harvey observed: “It feels like the question of changes to the frequency of the MOT come around every year. The MOT consultation has been front and centre of industry news and once again the volume of opposition is almost deafening.” He continued: “The industry is still feeling the effects of the 2020 MOT exemption, with the associated down turn in MOTs for April, May and June, expected to be felt for a number of years yet. The MOT consultation, which ran from January to March, not only suggested changing the date of the first MOT from year three to year four, but also asked for feedback on a range of other potential changes, such as measuring exhaust particulates, removal of grandfather rights, expanding the use of connected equipment and even floated the idea of publishing what in effect would be 44 AFTERMARKET JULY/AUGUST 2023 MOT www.aftermarketonline.net a league table of good to bad MOT stations. “We at the IGA sought feedback from our members and responded on their behalf to all the points of the consultation. We also set up an official Parliamentary petition to show the government the depth of feeling about the proposed change to the date of the first MOT. We are pleased to say that, at the time of writing, the petition has reached over 10,500 signatures, the number that requires a response from the government, a point that only around 2% of petitions achieve. The cost to the end user of an MOT has remained unchanged for many years. Some of the changes the Department for Transport has consulted on would require garages to spend large sums replacing their test equipment. Should the DfT go ahead with these, it must ensure that garages have the opportunity to obtain a return on their investment.” Frank concluded: “Imposing additional costs on MOT stations has the potential for consumer detriment, as it may force MOT stations to reconsider the viability of providing this service to the motoring public, reducing consumer choice.” To sign the petition against extending the first MOT to four years, visit: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/631650 TEST ANXIETY The MOT is changing, and the recent consultation called into question yet again the potential future shape of the test
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