Sue Robinson, chief executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) which represents car and commercial retailers in the UK, has welcomed the recent extension to the current MOT consultation. She said: “NFDA is pleased that its efforts to extend the consultation period, through discussions with DVSA and writing directly to DfT officials have been successful.
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) and Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA) have discussed the MOT frequency and enhancements consultation in a meeting with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The associations asked the DfT why a large and complex consultation, covering 27 areas within the MOT test, was published with only a six-week response period. In response, the department explained that Ministers are focusing on saving consumers money and wanted to use the consultation as an opportunity to evaluate if any areas of the MOT could contribute to further savings. UK automotive trade bodies have launched a petition, which aims to prevent the proposed four-year interval before the first MOT test on new vehicles. Tyres are a major cause of MOT test failures. The industry has often made a strong case against increasing MOT test intervals on the basis that it provides a necessary prompt for UK motorists to change tyres.
A petition has been launched by automotive trade bodies to stop the Government’s plans to extend the period before a vehicle has its first MOT, in order to reduce preventable casualties and deaths caused by vehicle defects. The petition states: “The Government has proposed extending the period before a vehicle has to have its first MOT from 3 years to 4. We believe this will be dangerous, expensive, damaging and unnecessary.”
The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a consultation on proposals to set up a Road Collision Investigation Branch (RCIB), which would operate much like the similar independent bodies that already exist for air, maritime and rail accidents. The consultation, which has been published on gov.uk, will run until 9 December.
Pirelli has reaffirmed its commitment to “maintaining industrial operations” at both its Carlisle and Burton-on-Trent UK factories after unions suggested the company was about to close its MIRS robotic production line in Burton. According to Unite, which represents all 280 members of the Burton tyre factory workforce, Pirelli has proposed cutting 80 jobs. In a statement published on 11 February 2021, Unite criticised Pirelli for “not taking up the furlough scheme for these workers, instead of pushing ahead with the redundancies.”
The UK is taking steps forward in automated technology in vehicles with the launch of a call for evidence on 18 August 2020 to help shape how innovative new systems could be used in future on GB roads. The call for evidence will look at the Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) – an automated system that can take over control of the vehicle at low speeds, keeping it in lane on motorways.
Further to our reports earlier today, the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has shared details of the government’s ongoing consultation with aftermarket trade bodies relating to the cancellation of lockdown MOT relaxation rules.
To this end, the DVSA has sent out a consultation document which includes three options to allow vehicle owners a period of grace during which they can obtain an MOT prior to the cessation of exemptions. This would not affect vehicles already covered by an exemption.
Following the news that new European tyre labels come into force on 1 May 2021, the UK government embarked on an “Improving new vehicle safety and environmental compliance plus passenger vehicle digital radio requirement” consultation on 1 June 2020.
Lay-off talks between Vredestein and employees at its Enschede factory in The Netherlands have not resulted in an agreement. The talks were prompted by the management’s announcement in early March that the firm is moving much of its production to Hungary. Since this will result in laying off around 750 of the 1,200 employees, a works council was developed in order to formulate an alternative proposal. However, according to various local news reports, the proposal was not received positively by the company management.
Nokian Tyres plc has entered into “employee cooperation negotiations” regarding planned temporary lay-offs affecting Nokian Tyres plc personnel based in Finland.
Plans to make electric vehicle chargepoints more widely available and convenient for motorists were put forward by government on 24 October 2016.
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has begun to investigate future uses of driverless vehicles in the UK. The inquiry will collect evidence on the potential uses and benefits of autonomous vehicles in contexts such as road transport, farming and space exploration.
Plans by the Environment Agency (EA) to introduce new norms for the storage and processing of end of life tyres (ELTs) will force many operators out of business by the end of this year, according to the Tyre Recovery Association (TRA). And what’s more this outcome is likely to drive tyre recycling underground too.
New political leaders are starting to make their mark on the automotive landscape. The new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has just launched a consultation on air quality in the capital.
Companies in the tyre and auto-care sector have just one week to make their views known on a proposal which could determine the viability of the industry’s future workforce.
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