Trade Angry at MOT Fee Delay

A long-awaited £6.20 increase in the MoT test fee has been put back more than six weeks by the Department for Transport. Testers expected the increase to be brought in on 1 October, but have now learned it has been put back until 24 November. Some now fear this deadline will slip even further back into December, the NTDA website reported. The traditional date for an MoT fee increase is 1 August.

Jim Punter, chairman of the MoT Trade Forum, of which the NTDA is a founder member, says the delays are “outrageous” and will have cost the trade up to £40 million in lost revenue by the time the increase is finally in place. He says the rise is vital, particularly because of the problems many testers have experienced with the roll-out of computerized testing.

Added John Tarbox NTDA National chairman and NTDA representative on the Forum: “Since its introduction last year, the time taken to carry out MoTs has increased, therefore it is vital that garages can charge more.”

The increase in the fee came about as a result of a test-timing exercise that was carried out earlier this year. It reflects the extra time necessary for completion of an MoT test since the introduction of a computerized system by VOSA in April 2005.