MoT sector in crisis |
| Tuesday, 24 April 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The MoT servicing industry could disappear within a year if the government goes ahead with plans to extend testing intervals.  Service outlets are under threat The RMIF has warned that if the new measures are introduced it would change the face of the retail motor industry.
Currently an MoT test is required after a vehicle is three years old and then takes place annually.
The government is considering extending the first test period to four years and then requesting an MoT test every two years.
Thousands of qualified testers could be made redundant, perhaps half of all the testers in the UK “Much of the MoT test sector could disappear within a year if the government enacts its plan to extend test intervals”, said Ray Holloway, director of independent membership for the RMIF.
“With less custom coming through their doors, we will see thousands of testing stations forced to shut down, and many thousands of qualified testers made redundant, perhaps half of all the testers in the UK.”
Around 12,000 of the 18,300 testing stations in the UK are independent garages that not only rely on income from the MoT test but also on the associated servicing and repair work.
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Comments (8)
KELVIN CHAMBERS
said:
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ON THE SUBJECT OF CH... ON THE SUBJECT OF CHANGES TO THE MOT TEST HAVE THE GOVERNMENT GONE COMPLETELY MAD?I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN MOTOR VEHICLE TESTING FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS AND LIKE MOST TESTERS I HAVE SEEN THE DIFFERENCE 1 YEARS USE CAN MAKE TO A VEHICLE WITH THE SCHEME AS IT STANDS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT UNLESS ITS A COMPLETE COMPONENT FAILUE WE ARE REQUIRED TO Pa*s AND ADVISE A VEHICLE. WHERE MOST OF THESE NOTED ADVISES WOULD BECOME A MUCH MORE SERIOUS DEFECT WITHIN THE YEAR WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE CONSEQUENCES OF A 2 YEAR TEST INTERVAL.ALSO MANY COMPANY VEICLES THAT GO TO THE TEST FOR THE FIRST TIME HAVE ALREADY TRAVELLED THE EQIVALENT OF 10 YEARS AVERAGE MOTORING. AT THE MOMENT THE POLICE AND VOSA ARE CONCERNED WITH THE CONDITION OF MANY OF THE CONTINENTAL LORRIES THAT DELIVER GOODS TO THE UK FINDING THAT MANY HAVE VERY SERIOUS DEFECTS THAT COMPROMISE SAFTEY TO THEMSELVES AND OTHER ROAD USERS SO THIS MIGHT SUGGEST THAT THE CONTINENTAL FORM OF TEST FALLS VERY SHORT OF SAFETY REQUIREMENTS!!! SO I MUST ASK IS THIS GOVERNMENT PREPARED TO COMPRISE SAFETY AND PEOPLES LIVES FOR A 50.00 MOT TEST? |
Richard Stewart-Jones
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Hmm, that was a bit ... Hmm, that was a bit of a rant from John Ufton wasn't it? I haven't heard of a qualified solicitor who charges only 60 to 70 per hour. Also, just as the solicitor has to pay for office and support staff costs from his hourly charge, the garage has to provide workshop space, support staff and thousands of pounds worth of equipment to enable the technician to do his job. On the subject of MoT periods, I know of people who never check their oil level or tyre pressures so the thought of their cars going for two years without a safety check is a little worrying. |
john shepherd
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in the last 10 years... in the last 10 years this labour government have decided to change everything in this country just for the sake of it costing millions of pounds of [our] taxpayers money and c**king up each one as they go along. now they will start on the motor trade and slaughter that but as long as tony blair keeps his 5 million pound house in connaught square and ma*sive pension it dose not seem to matter. about time for some one to say something...EH |
Richard Sanders
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Vehicle safety is pa... Vehicle safety is paramount and should not be compromised. Approximately, 25% of all vehicles fail the test on first inspection and the situation will only get worse. The MOT requirements should be increased to cover all vehicles when they reach 60,000 miles or 3 years - which ever is the sooner. |
John M.Ufton
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Oh Dear!Before any o... Oh Dear!Before any one complains too much can I remind garages how they have moaned over the years that they were losing money carrying out the MOT Test and lobbied for an increase in charges.. only to find that once the new charges were in place everybody undercut everybody else to get the business. Here in South Yorkshire the MOT Test can cost from 25 to 40.The motor trade deserves all it gets. It rips off the general public in every sector, you only have to read into Motor Traders own polls to see this. Stop whinging you have had it good for far too long. Its a pity that solicitors dont service and repair vehicles.. their hourly rate is much less. |
Bill Hollingshead
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I have read the arti... I have read the article above and we should look at the argument closely. We should not be fighting the changes because it affect businesses and lively hoods, if that was an arguement the Government would never have let Rover close etc. It is fundementaly wrong to let cars run around our roads without some kind of inspection, most MOT testers have horror stories about cars coming in for test with alarming faults after just one year and i am sure most testers would like to see a strickter test, failing items that will potentialy be dangerous in a few hundred miles. 3,500 people are killed on our roads every year, i do accept only a small percentage of accidents are caused by mechanical failure but we will only add to that death toll by extending MOT periods. Government minsters should also recognise that the mot is in some cases the only check many cars see as owners today fail to have older cars serviced often enough and take no interest in even doing safety checks on tyres and lights them selves. In my opinion the Government should be looking at bringing in MOT's for cars under three years that doo high mileage. we regularly see 100'000 mile cars that are not three years old and do not require MOT. We must argue this point on safety and lives not business and livelehoods. as a final point Every piece of equipment we use has to have some kind of routine inspection, weekly, monthly, anually put the health and safety executive in charge of Mot and we will be ding them every month!!!!! Bill Hollingshead Aftersales Manager |
Tony Teasdale
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If every MOT station... If every MOT station got together and started to refuse to do any testing the government would have to listen. I challenge all MOT stations to boycot, should the government go ahead with 4-2-2 |
roger Thapar
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as it is independant... as it is independant garages are already suffering due to lack of tech info from various manufacturers , if the proposed mot intervals are introduced then obviously the govt will make the operators to commit suicide , but they will have to , point being their buildings risiduals will also not have any takers with existing business , it will be dead ? what is the objective of this plan , what is the real answere . the truth please government ? tell us for a change be honest , dont play with our lives , we have no recourse in the present economic crisis that you have already created , why are you making life for garages so hard , you have already created a blunder by no control on european cars influx , please dont destroy us , |
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