January 23, 2023
The beginning of 2023 has ushered in a full Government Review on ‘the future of the MOT’.
There has been an ongoing dialogue over whether to change the historic 3:1:1 requirement (MOT every year after the initial three years) to a more relaxed 4:2:2 approach (MOT every other year after the initial four years). With the present shift towards EV and hybrid vehicles (reducing workshop loadings by 40%) and the rising cost of living, this drop in MOT volume could spell disaster for garage businesses all over the UK. If you want to save your business and job, read on for practical solutions.
Servicing a vehicle or running any repairs ahead of any scheduled MOT checks is likely to give an inaccurate reflection of the vehicle’s actual roadworthiness. An integral part of our role as MOT Scheme providers is reporting accurate data via MTS up the chain of command. This immutable data, collected from all the MOT bays around the country, form the basis of decision-making from the highest levels of policymaking – the Government Ministry of Transport. They aren’t interested in experiential anecdotes or what we say is best as an industry; they will use only data analysis to reveal the best way to manage the scheme.
If we make any fixes to the vehicle ahead of the MOT and fail to report these issues up the chain via the MTS system, these statistics then unwittingly support the call for reducing MOT frequency to a 4:2:2 format. Along with the changing landscape of our industry over to Electric and hybrid vehicles, the potential for this to negatively impact the viability of many garages in the industry is high. It is of utmost importance that we recognise the impact our internal processes can have on our workflow and the industry at large.
Thankfully the DVSA provides the Pass after Rectification at Station (PRS) process to help us manage these quick-fix scenarios. Although it takes slightly more effort from the Tester to correctly register each issue noted with a vehicle as they log the test on MTS, recording an MOT as a fail, even if it fails on something quick and easy to rectify, is an essential step in ensuring we meet our responsibility of reporting accurate data. Accurate data reporting is as critical to maintaining thriving businesses as it is for the overall safety of road users in Britain.
There is a fine line to balance between providing a fantastic customer experience which exceeds expectations and taking full responsibility for our duty to report every failure up the chain for future analysis. Although we want to impress our customers, provide excellent value for money and ensure we are their first choice next time they require garage services, putting ourselves out of business will negatively impact our ability to provide an excellent service moving forward. Our responsibility for providing accurate data reporting must come before all other considerations on how we choose to run our business.
Industry experts must engage with the current consultation on ‘the future of the MOT’. This process is our opportunity to unite behind our need to maintain the status quo on MOT frequency. Every voice contributing to this process is essential. Please have your say on this matter, along with other factors affecting optimum MOT scheme management, by participating in the consultation. Click here to take part now.
If you need any help or advice filling in the consultation survey check out this helpful explainer video or email us on motsdomatter@motjuice.co.uk. Engaging with the consultation must be an industry priority. We’ve all completed the survey here at MOT Juice and are happy to help.
Set a single standard price for the MOT test. Sign petition here.
Require emissions testing for all hybrids. Sign petition here.
Increase weight limit for Class 7 vehicles. Sign petition here.
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