Shapps: MOT extension plans ‘under review’
The Transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has responded to a letter requesting the six-month MOT extension to be reconsidered. The Indepent Garage Association (IGA) asked for the extension to be reassessed with car utilisation increasing after Coronavirus lockdown restrictions were eased. In response, Shapps explained that plans to stop the extension are constantly under review. The IGA said this mirrors the association’s desire to meet the safety measures required to end the MOT extension.
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European Governments must move fast to support auto sector: GlobalData
France recently announced plans to inject more than €8bn into its automotive sector, a measure that Calum MacRae, automotive analyst at GlobalData, believes should be considered across Western Europe. The analyst has forecast that the region will bear the brunt of a global industry that faces a near 20 per cent fall in volume in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. While it forecasts global industry to lose nearly 16 million sales in 2020 compared with 2019, West Europe alone will account for more than a quarter of the decline.
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IAAF praises sector as it fights to overhaul MOT extension
The IAAF is continuing to call for the MOT extension to be scrapped and has written to government to get the decision overturned. In various communications with DVSA and Department for Transport, IAAF chief executive, Wendy Williamson said the decision to extend the MOT “will inevitably have a serious impact on road safety as road worthiness can alter greatly during this period. There is also the obvious concern that due to this postponement there could be thousands of vehicles on the road that are dangerous and unroadworthy.”
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PM Johnson boost for Silverstone-hosted F1 grands prix
Silverstone and Formula 1 are facing a race against time to ensure the UK circuit’s two conditionally agreed 2020 grands prix can go ahead in July or August. But the circuit was given a boost by prime minister Boris Johnson, who has reportedly told cabinet ministers to make plans for the events to take place.
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Kwik Fit warns of ‘1.1 million unroadworthy vehicles’
MOT exemption means many cars will not be checked for up to six months and 49 per cent of drivers receiving an MOT extension will go to the end of the period without getting car tested, according to Kwik Fit’s analysis. However, the leading fast-fit chain also reports that the majority of drivers think the MOT extension should be ended now.
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PRA welcomes landmark Supreme Court ATM decision
The Supreme Court unanimously decided in favour that ATMs at existing shops should not be subject to separate business rates assessment on 20 May. “We are delighted that the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of retailers, meaning that they will now be rightly owed around £500 million in business rates refunds,” said Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA).
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Could Covid impact lead to widespread ‘dead-end’ stockpiling of waste tyres?
The Tyre Recovery Association is urging the Environment Agency to be more vigilant about stockpiling waste tyres. The association is concerned that the current relaxation of stockpile permitting rules could lead to operators storing more waste tyres than they can handle. With recycling gate prices high and cashflow under enormous pressure, the temptation to accept unrealistic collection price offers is great. However, if the collector is unable to process waste tyres as a result, abandoned waste tyre stockpiles could become “an ugly and very expensive problem”, which could prove damaging to the reputation of the tyre business as a whole.
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New UK Global Tariff sees tyre duty reduced from 4.5% to 4.0%
The UK Department for International Trade has announced a new UK Global Tariff (UKGT). Announced on 19 May 2020, this replaces the EU’s Common External Tariff on 1 January 2021 at the end of the Brexit Transition Period. As it pertains to the tyre business, while there are various categories, the announcement basically means the new UKGT sees tyre duty reduced from 4.5% to 4.0%. Camel back rubber for use in retreading stays at 0%, while duties cushion industrial tyres are reduced to 2.0% from 2.5%.
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Garage reopening best-practice issued by GEA, SMMT
The Garage Equipment Association (GEA), Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF), the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), the Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA) and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd (SMMT) have published a best practice guide outlining the necessary steps for garages exiting lockdown.
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European Parliament votes to revise tyre labelling regulation
The European Tyre Manufacturers’ Association has welcomed European Parliament’s vote to revise its Tyre Labelling Regulation. As a result of the update, industry must upload information about around 120,000 different tyres to be placed on the market to the European Product Database for Energy Labelling (EPREL) by 1 May 2021. The addition of this requirement is in line with the re-design of the label itself to conform with other applicable products. The association said this would better inform and further empower tyre buyers, while promoting uptake of tyres with the best safety and environmental performances. It also sounded a note of caution about the timescale for compliance with the update. The EPREL’s tyre application is still in development.
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Nynas exits US sanctions
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has confirmed that Nynas is no longer being blocked pursuant to the Venezuela Sanctions Regulations. As a result of a corporate restructuring of the ownership of Nynas AB, sanctions are lifted.
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Continental launches VECTO, fleet tyres, emissions microsite
Continental AG has just launched a microsite containing information about the latest CO₂ emissions regulations for heavy goods vehicles and the VECTO (Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool) simulation tool.
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IGA requests enhanced furlough scheme from chancellor
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has requested an enhancement to the furlough scheme. It wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to request an alteration to the current scheme enabling employees to return to work partially as the country prepares for the next phase of lockdown restrictions.
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