February 2020

next stages through our Matters of Testing blog; https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk “ Main drive What does all this mean for MOT testing stations though? GEA Chief Executive Julian Woods observed: “2019 saw the start of the DVSA’s introduction of getting MOT station test equipment connected directly to MTS. The main drive for this is to reduce errors, speed up the MOT test and drive down cases of fraud. Connected test equipment is fundamentally the same units as currently being used in the MOT test.” According to Julian, this means that on the ground, the difference for those performing the test is minimal: “From the tester’s point of view, the test is conducted exactly the same as on non-connected equipment. When a vehicle is booked in for the MOT test, MTS automatically sends out a job card to the cloud for the connected equipment to read. At the start of a specific test, i.e. roller brake test, currently you select the age of the vehicle and enter VRM. With connected equipment, the tester simply selects the job card from the cloud, performs the test as ususal and T he MOT saw a degree of change in 2019 as connectivity continued to ramp up. Commenting on the ongoing changes being enacted around the Test, Chris Price, Head of MOT Policy at DVSA said: “Modern connectable MOT testing equipment can capture and record a lot of information about vehicles in real time but currently most MOT information is written down by testers on a sheet of paper and then keyed into the MOT computer. This takes time and can lead to a lot of errors on the MOT service, meaning customers’ car details can be wrong. We had 1,800 test record corrections requests this year. “That is why we are introducing connectable equipment to modernise testing in garages, not only saving them time but also reducing the risk of error and fraud. We’ve been working with manufacturers to develop connectable equipment, many of which only need a small software upgrade to make them connectable.” Process Explaining the timetable, Chris said: “Since 1 November 2019, anyone getting authorised to open a new test station, taking over an existing test station or upgrading their equipment has needed to make sure the roller brake tester is connectable. From this month (February 2020), decelerometers will follow the same process, allowing them to connect to the MOT system and transfer the results.” The process has been well-received according to Chris: “We’ve had some great feedback from garages who are interested in connectable equipment. We’ve listened to their comments and introduced a three-month transition period for changes in ownership of a current vehicle testing station so they can also get connected equipment installed. This transition time should help make the change as smooth as possible for new garage owners and 44 AFTERMARKET FEBRUARY 2020 MOT www.aftermarketonline.net GET YOURSELF CONNECTED Above: The MOT test is adapting with new technology, which brings challenges and The roll-out of connected MOT equipment has dominated conversation around the Test, but MOT Training is also an issue existing garages to get their equipment up and running. “But we’re going further than that. Later in the year, we’re also looking to introduce connected diesel smoke meters, exhaust gas analysers and headlamp aligners. And good news too – The new equipment won’t necessarily be more expensive either, with a number of manufacturers offering discounts to garages as they too want to see that garages are looking to the future. Existing garages don’t need to worry though, as they can still continue to use non- connected equipment until it breaks down. Only then will they need to buy a connectable model.” Chris added: “We want to get to a position where all garages offer fully connected testing so the MOT is as quick and efficient as possible, but this is likely to be some way off. You can find out more about MOT garage equipment on GOV.UK and take a look at the Garage Equipment Association’s website which lists all DVSA acceptable equipment. “We’ll let Aftermarket and other motoring publications know when new equipment needs to be able to connect to the MOT testing system. We’ll also keep you in touch with the