11:07 am, May 29, 2020
The transport secretary has revealed that the government is constantly reviewing the six-month MOT exemption – but it will not be cancelled just yet.
In a written response to the Independent Garage Association, the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps has said the extension will remain in place until a safe way for conducting MOTs can be found.
Shapps also said that the government needs to work out a way to ensure there is ‘sufficient capacity’ when MOT tests are reintroduced.
It means that the industry’s hopes the six month MOT extension could be cancelled as soon as this week – ahead of car dealers and garages opening fully on Monday (June 1) – will now not happen.
In the letter, Shapps said: ‘We need to ensure that an MOT can be conducted safely with the lowest possible risk to people’s health, this includes both MOT staff and those going in for test.
‘The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has published guidance on conducting tests while adhering to social distancing measures, and they continue to work with testers to develop best practice guidance for these circumstances. The public need to feel safe going in for an MOT test, and those doing the testing need to feel safe.
‘We also need to ensure that we have a robust system in place for those who are in self-isolation, or at risk, so they are not penalised if they are unable to leave their homes.
‘When testing is reintroduced, it needs to be done when there is sufficient capacity, not only immediately, but also when those vehicles that have been excluded become due for testing.’
Stuart James, director of the IGA, said he was ‘disappointed’ the six month MOT extension would not be cancelled immediately, but understood the transport secretary’s concerns.
Currently the MOT extension is running from March 30, 2020, to March 29, 2021 – with any cars due an MOT in that time period given an automatic six-month extension.
Anyone with an MOT due during the current 12-month timeframe automatically gets an extension of six months but it is only issued seven days before the MOT is due.
James said: ‘I am impressed at how quickly the transport secretary got back to us as we only wrote to him a week ago and this shows how important they think this issue is.
‘We are working with the government to ensure MOTs can be carried out safely for the public and garage workers.’
The government needs to work out how to deal with the spike of MOTs due in six months time. Some 3.5m MOTs have not been carried out in April and may which would put pressure on the trade in September and October.
The government needs to be sure that there is sufficient capacity to deal with this spike otherwise drivers may be left without a car because they cannot get it booked in for a test.
James suggests the way to solve this could be from the point of cancelling the MOT extension, offer a similar six month extension to those who would need to have their tests carried out during the months that all those who missed theirs now had been moved to.
For example, all those due in April and May have the tests carried out in September and October, and those who have one due in those months are moved on six months to the following April and May, thus back filling the space and flattening out the spike.
James said: ‘We have not heard of any official statements on how the government intends to smooth out this spike in demand for MOTs, but this could work.
‘What we do know is the longer they leave it the more complicated it will get. The government has done their best in very difficult circumstances, but now is the time to cancel this legislation for the good of road safety and for the good of the economy.’
Read the transport secretary’s letter in full here
How does the MOT 6-month extension work? Q&A and video
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