8:29 am, October 7, 2026
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has repeated its calls for an ‘urgent meeting’ with Transport Minister Heidi Alexander as it steps up its campaign for an MOT price rise.
The trade body met with officials from the Department for Transport (DfT) and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) on September 24 and is now seeking further talks with Alexander [pictured].
The outfit went public with the request last week and has now repeated its calls, urging the government to ‘act now’.
It comes after the DVSA announced increases to MOT fees for busses, coaches, HGVs and trailers earlier in the year, despite but holding the cap on class 4, 5 and 7 vehicles.
The current MOT fee cap for class 4 vehicles has remained unchanged, at £54.85 since 2010.
The IGA, which is the largest trade association representing independent garages in the UK, says that MOT testing work is currently ‘unsustainable’ amid ‘additional cost pressures’ and ‘growing complexities’.
It now fears the financial pressure on independent garages could start to reduce the number of businesses willing to offer MOT testing.
IGA chief executive Stuart James says the issue warrants direct ministerial attention following the IGA’s latest meeting with officials.
He said: ‘The IGA has made its position clear to Government, and we are grateful to officials at the DfT and DVSA for engaging with us.
‘However, following our discussions, we believe the time has now come for this issue to receive the direct ministerial attention it deserves.
‘The MOT fee has been frozen since 2010, while the cost of running a garage and carrying out an MOT has risen significantly.
‘Our members are telling us that they are reaching the point where they can no longer absorb these rising costs and still make MOT testing commercially viable.’
He added: ‘We are therefore asking the Transport Minister to meet with us as a matter of urgency. We want to work constructively with Government to find a solution, but the current situation cannot simply be allowed to drift.
‘Our message is straightforward – the MOT fee needs to increase to at least £95, and it needs to happen before further testing capacity is lost.
‘Every month that passes without action increases the pressure on the businesses delivering this essential service. We now need Government to recognise the urgency of the situation and engage with us directly on how it will be resolved.’
Car Dealer recently spoke to a number of garage owners, who admitted they could stop offering MOT tests altogether if things do not change.
Dealer bosses said they have been left to effectively subsidise MOTs themselves, adding that the fee ‘simply doesn’t reflect the true cost’ of carrying out a test.