MOT
The Institute of the Motor Industry has affirmed that it is ‘open for business’ in support of the motor retail sector during the Coronavirus pandemic. The IMI is emphasising the availability of its online channels during the coming months. It has dedicated business development, quality and product teams available remotely to help partners to continue to innovate and deliver to their learners and members.
At least 50,000 MOT tests have been cancelled in Northern Ireland since testing ground to a halt a month ago. The Northern Ireland MOT process was thrown in crisis on 21 January after cracks were found on lifts at many test centres owing to the fact that all MOTs are run by the DVA, a Northern Ireland government agency, which had bulk bought the same model of lift for all its centres.
A month ahead of the 31 March deadline, the DVSA is urging the 50 per cent of MOT tester that haven’t completed their annual training and assessment to do so “or face being suspended”.
DVSA figures show that 30,950 testers still need to complete the training and assessment. Last year, 1,882 were suspended for failing to do so. This compares to 5,538 suspensions in 2018.
All of Quick Lane’s 15 centres now offer MOT testing. The news follows the Bracknell site’s attainment of MOT testing certification from the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
Quick Lane, which has been operating as a franchise in the UK for a year, sees the burgeoning MOT market as a key source of business, with dedicated bays, equipment and testers in each Quick Lane location. Its strategy to provide motorists with convenience with confidence, together with a service that fits around driver’s needs is paying off, with plans to extend the network further throughout 2020.
In addition to the news that the Maha Duo+1 scissor lift if the model behind the Northern Ireland MOT crisis, GEA chief executive Julian Woods has pointed out that these Irish lifts are different to UK equivalents: “Vehicle lifts used for performing MOT tests in Ireland are of a different design/specification to those required in the UK MOT market and as such we cannot compare the situations.”
Maha Ireland has confirmed that its Maha DUO+1 scissor lift is behind the Northern Ireland MOT crisis. The lift, which has been supplied to DVA centres across Northern Ireland and is also believed to have been supplied to NCT centres in the Republic of Ireland, suffering from cracking which resulted in the suspension of all car MOTS in Northern Ireland on 27 January 2020.
MAHA Ireland Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German company MAHA Maschinenbau Haldenwang GmbH & Co. KG, supplied the lifts at the centre of the crisis that brought all Northern Irish MOTs to a standstill on 27 January 2020 and subsequently spread to the Republic of Ireland.
Three more vehicle lifts became operational at Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) test centres in Northern Ireland on 31 January as work continued to restore normal operations. Together with the two lifts that went into operation on 29 January as well as roughly 15 per cent that were not affected by the severe cracking reported across 85 per cent of the DVA network, this means that the Northern Irish MOT process is now running at between 15 and 25 per cent of normally capacity more than a week after all MOTs in Northern Ireland were suspended on safety grounds on 27 January 2020. Therefore, it is still likely to take months before the process is back at full speed.
Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon announced reviews into the MOT fiasco during a visit to DVA’s Boucher Road test centre on 28 January.
Speaking from the test centre, Minister Mallon said: “I have just been in speaking with staff here at the Boucher Road DVA centre. Staff are working tirelessly on the frontline to process priority customers and to communicate with the public. However, I have acted decisively to minimise disruption.”
Two new MOT lifts are being installed in DVA test centres in a bid to increase MOT capacity in Northern Ireland. The MOT process ground to a halt on 27 January 2020 when more 85 per cent of DVA lifts were deemed unsafe. Nevertheless, replacing MOT lifts is still likely to take months.
24 hours after all passenger car and light vehicle MOTs were halted in Northern Ireland (NI), it has emerged that replacement of the fault lifts at the centre of the crisis could take months and cost millions of pounds. Indeed, if all 55 vehicle lifts across Northern Ireland need to be replaced, with new lifts costing between £30,000 and £40,000 each (according DVA chief executive Paul Duffy quoted in multiple sources), the total cost will be between £1.65 million to £2.2 million.
Serious issues with vehicle lifts have led to all MoT tests for cars and light vehicles in Northern Ireland being suspended with immediate effect as of 27 January 2020.
The love and attention some motorcycle riders show their machines borders on obsessive, and this dedication to keeping bikes in top working order is reflected in MOT pass rates. Only 16.9 per cent of bikes fail their initial MOT tests, compared to 33.6 per cent of cars and 42.2 per cent of goods vehicles. But when motorcycles do fail, it’s often for problems that could have easily been rectified beforehand. Tyres are the leading ‘dangerous’ defect.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced that, from 1 November 2019, anyone applying to be an authorised examiner (AE) or authorised examiner designated manager (AEDM) will need to have a basic DBS check. This verifies the applicant’s identity and checks unspent convictions. DVSA is introducing DBS checks to prevent people who might damage the integrity of the MOT scheme from holding positions of authority at test centres.
Almost half of drivers believe an MOT is a guarantee their car will be safe to drive for the next 12 months, according to a new study of 2000 drivers commissioned by Halfords Autocentres. The OnePoll study also found that 42 per cent shun servicing their vehicle and rely on the MOT as the only annual check. Londoners are the biggest culprits, with 65 per cent admitting the MOT is their car’s only annual check, compared to 30 per cent of Scots.
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