New rule changes affecting MOT testers could have a huge impact on drivers looking to get their car checked amid fears it could cause a backlog of tests.
Garages must adhere to new rules which could see MOT testers suspended for not completing the required training necessary to do their job.
According to GOV.UK, garages and MOT testers must keep an eye on training and assessments, updates and changes to DVSA testing policies.
MOT tester must complete their annual training and assessment by March 31 every year, with estimates from February suggesting that one in five had not yet completed the training.
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It was estimated that one in five testers had not yet started their training
GETTYThey must ensure they have recorded their training on the MOT testing service, kept a record of their training for the previous five years, taken and passed the assessment and checked that their assessment result has been recorded on their MOT testing service profile.
Individual MOT testers and your business can be suspended from MOT testing if testers do not keep the right records.
If they want to return, they must complete the annual training and assessment, as well as completing a “demonstration test” with a DVSA vehicle examiner.
Speaking earlier this year, Hayley Pells, policy and public affairs lead at the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), highlighted the importance of garage workers completing the training.
She said: “This could have a serious impact on garages’ ability to complete MOT testing, and ultimately their customer satisfaction and profitability.
“Garages therefore need to support their technicians in their training and assessments to avoid any impact on the business.
“MOT testers who fail to meet the deadline will not only lose their ability to conduct any MOT work until the training and assessment has been completed, and their DBS check has been approved.”
Recent data from the Department for Transport found that between October and December last year, more than two million vehicles failed their MOT test.
​There were 13,049 motorcycle failures, 2,259 failures for private passenger vehicles with more than 12 seats and 78,568 failures for goods vehicles between 3,000 and 3,500kg gross vehicle weight.
Shockingly, a total of 1,998,570 cars, vans and passenger vehicles with up to 12 seats failed their test.
This was the highest rate of MOT test failures since the period between January and March 2023 when there were 2,043,794 failures.
The DVSA will be introducing further changes later this month when it will no longer automatically issue paper certificates for MOT passes.
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Some MOT testers could be suspended if they do not complete the required training
PAThis is part of the DVSA’s mission to become more environmentally friendly and cut down on paper, with estimates that if an A4 piece of paper was printed out for every MOT certificate, it would cover the size of 295 Wembley Stadium pitches.