MoT changes could make costs worse for drivers, AA warns
Wed, 27 Apr 2022
- Transport secretary Grant Shapps suggested relaxing the frequency of MoTs at a cabinet meeting.
- Drivers could face higher repair bills if MoT rules are changed, AA says.
- Previous plans to move the MoT were dropped on safety grounds.
A suggestion to change the MoT from every year to every two years to ease the cost of living crisis could actually make things worse for drivers, the AA has warned.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps is reported to have suggested relaxing the frequency of the MoT test in a cabinet meeting yesterday (26 April 2022).
Currently, once a vehicle is three years old it must have an MoT test certificate, which is renewed on an annual basis.
The maximum cost for the test is £54.85 for a car and £29.65 for a standard motorcycle.
Commenting on the suggested changes, Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at the AA, said: “Though well intended, moving the yearly £55 spend on an MoT to every two years could make costs worse for drivers with higher repair bills, make our roads more dangerous and would put jobs in the garage industry at risk.”
In 2018 the Government abandoned plans to increase the wait before the first test from three to four years after a campaign by HonestJohn.co.uk, which called for the changes to be dropped on safety grounds.
Our research identified that 385,000 vehicles that would have failed their first MoT would have slipped through the net and remained on the roads unrepaired.
The AA said that its polling shows “overwhelming support” from drivers for the current system as they like the security that an annual health check provides.
Cousens said: “The MoT now highlights major and dangerous defects too, showing how important it is to keep cars in a safe condition.”
The RAC has also raised safety concerns. It head of policy Nicholas Lyes said: “The purpose of an MoT is to ensure vehicles meet a basic level of safety for driving on our roads. Shifting it from annually to every two years would see a dramatic increase in the number of unroadworthy vehicles and could make our roads far less safe.”
The AA's Cousens suggested that to reduce motoring costs, drivers would rather see pump price transparency to revive competition on the forecourts or expanding Park & Ride schemes so drivers can avoid higher inner-city driving costs.
The Department for Transport declined to comment on the proposed MoT changes.
How much does an MoT cost?
The maximum cost for the MoT test is £54.85 for a car and £29.65 for a standard motorcycle.
How often is an MoT required?
Once a vehicle is three years old it must have an MoT test certificate, which is renewed on an annual basis.
How can I check a car's MoT history?
You can not get results for tests carried out prior to 2005.
Tailgate lock not working - will my car fail the MoT?
Are parking sensors included in an MoT test?
