Motor Industry Puts On Pressure To Keep MOT
The motor industry is said to be stepping up the pressure on the Government not to scrap the MOT car testing scheme in favour of the more relaxed European Union regime.
In a survey of 4,200 drivers, commissioned by motoring organisations, more than nine in ten believed that the MOT should stay as it is.
According to Essex Auto Groups research, 92 per cent of respondents believed that used cars should be tested annually on road-safety grounds, rather than every two years, as under EU regulations. It also found that 93 per cent did not believe that the cost of the annual MOT — the test starts at £54.85 — was an unnecessary burden on motorists.
The Transport Minister, was believed to be considering to relax the anual MOT to an EU regime in which new cars are not tested for roadworthiness until they are four years old, and then every other year. The MOT stipulates the first test after three years and then annually.
The Retail Motor Industry Federation has warned that such a move could lead to 400 more deaths a year on the roads. In addition, it claims that a less frequent testing regime would cost 40,000 jobs among thousands of small garages, which employ about 100,000 staff.
